Naruto: Lord of Spines
by Uncle Joe
Summary: What if Naruto was raised as a warrior in a diffrent dimension, what if he was lost with his only friend to a force of massive power and evil. What if he returned home? Another fic by Uncle Joe and edited by Dirty Reid. This is a Crossover Starcraft
1. Chapter 1

**Naruto: Lord of Spines**

**By Uncle Joe**

**Edited by (You guessed it) Dirty Reid**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN EITHER NARUTO OR STARCRAFT. I OWN NONE OF THIS, NOTHING MENTIONED WITHIN THIS FICTION BELONGS TO ME. ALL I GET OUT OF IT IS FUN; NO FINANCIAL OR MATERIAL PROFIT. **

**Okay; little timeline for Starcraft fans so you don't get confused. I am a Starcraft fan, but I have not read the books so I'm guessing about some parts of Kerrigan's past. So here's how it goes.**

**READ THIS PLEASE I DON'T WANT NEEDLESS QUESTIONS**

This story starts 12 years before Starcraft the first game. When it begins, Kerrigan is eight, reducing her age by six years and I'll cut all Starcraft characters ages by six years to make up for it. Now here's how it goes. Twelve years before Starcraft (the first game) Naruto arrives in the Starcraft universe and Kerrigan, who is eight, finds him. He's taken into the Ghost program. And seven years later Kerrigan, but not Naruto, is rescued by the Son's of Korhal. So she'd be fifteen and Naruto is seven. Five years later, they meet again.

That's all I'm gonna say, just to avert confusion.

**YOU WANT A HISTORY OF THE WORLD? LOOK IT UP ON WIKI, IT'S WAY TOO EXTENSIVE TO DESCRIBE!**

**Also, when I started this fic, no crossover existed between these two different stories. So yeah, originality to the max. However in some minor research I did while writing this fic, I found a pure Starcraft fic (no crossover) called 'The Lord of Spines' by reptilia28 which is basically the same concept. So I mentioned it just in case, since reptilia28 doesn't mind me doing this fic like this. Also, check out his fic; it's pretty good. I am also borrowing the name of said fic because it's just really cool.**

**Naruto: Lord of Spines**

Minato suppressed his grief as he watched dozens of his ninja die with a single swipe of the Kyuubi's tail. The massive fox chuckled darkly as it continued its rampage towards Konoha. Minato had been able to figure out why it was there, but had no time to tell anyone. It was there to wipe the Uchiha clan off the face of the earth, thanks to the first clan member, Uchiha Madara, summoning the fox and disturbing its long slumber with some weird genjutsu.

But Minato was able to feel a small bit of happiness: his wife was alive at least. It had been a difficult birth, but she would survive, despite blood loss. He supposed in some far more tragic story, his wife would die in childbirth, or would rush out after the birth and die under the Kyuubi's claws. But this was life which could be extremely tragic, ironic or surprisingly normal and uneventful.

He snorted to the giant toad beneath him "Tonight is lively, isn't it Gamabunta?"

"**HAHAHA! I always liked your sense of humor Minato. I know what you're planning my friend. And you were the best damn summoner I have ever had. It was an honour to know you, Blondie."** Minato chuckled as a few tears ran down his face. Gamabunta may have always been grumpy and talked like a Yakuza gangster, but he was a damn good man... uhh, toad. He cradled his little son Naruto in his arms. Around the little guy's neck was a necklace made of silver with a leaf symbol resting on his chest. A stylized leaf on the front and on the back was carved the name that was deemed safe; Uzumaki Naruto.

He grinned as the boy giggled; he had found it amazing when they entered the battlefield and Kyuubi's massive killing intent washed over them. Little Naruto had frozen for a few seconds and then returned to normal, apparently shrugging it off and forgetting the fear. It would be a good trait when he started to wield the monster's chakra. Minato only wished he could see his little boy grow up. Minato sighed and dismissed the depressing thoughts. He sat down and placed Naruto in his lap and began to do hand seals.

Kyuubi paused sniffing the air, something was wrong. She **(No NaruFemKyu sorry)** turned and spotted a blonde man sitting on top of a giant toad's head doing hand seals. She immediately knew what was happening, and charged towards the pair. But despite her incredible speed, it was too late. She screamed in pain as her soul was torn out of her body slowly. She managed a pained leer as she planned her revenge.

"**NAMIKAZE MINATO! YOU MAY HAVE SEALED MY FATE AND MADE ME MORTAL, BUT I SHALL HAVE MY REVENGE! THE BOY WILL **_**NEVER **_**KNOW HIS MOTHER'S LOVE!" **

Minato's eyes widened as he felt the Shinigami shoved its hand in his chest.

"**He will leave this universe, Namikaze, and never know love. He will die alone and cold. Savor your hollow victory while you can human! HAHAHA!"** the Kyuubi's laughter was cut off as it was finally ripped from its boy and shoved into Naruto, sealed away for the rest of her life. When the boy died, so would she.

Minato coughed as he slowly died. The Shinigami was giving him time for a reason it could only comprehend. Sarutobi landed lightly in front of the slowly dying Fourth Hokage. "Minato what is…?"

"I failed, old man."

"What?"

"Kyuubi she was sealed, b-but it took Naruto…s-somewhere" he coughed violently "T-tell Kushina-chan... I'm sorry..."

Sarutobi cried quietly as the hero fell from his knees. "Wherever you are Naruto, good luck."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(A few minutes later)

A tall, lithe girl with a shock of long red hair head snapped up as something…called to her. Her watcher noticed that the eight year old girl in front of him was suddenly distracted from taking the thousand yard shot on the firing range. He frowned as the girl stared off into the distance. He knew her psychic abilities had been greatly repressed since she was admitted to the program when she was six. And before that, she had been terrified of her abilities, even though her potential was massive.

The reason she was terrified was an accident when she was six that had caused the death of her mother and made her father effectively brain-dead. She stood, leaving her weapon behind and wandered almost aimlessly to the north. Blake growled. He knew the scientists that studied her mental abilities would give him hell if he didn't let her follow this intuition. He signaled to the two marine contingents that were with him on guard duty to follow him as he pursued her. They followed her for fifteen minutes before Blake heard a sound. Apparently one of the marines was able to hear the sound as he swore fluently in what sounded like two different languages and charged past the group ignoring the shouts of the sergeant.

Blake swore, "DAMMIT! PRIVATE HICKS, GET THE FUCK BACK HERE!!" Hicks ignored him; he glanced over his shoulder at Sergeant Johnson who shrugged an odd gesture in his powered combat suit.

Hicks stopped on a hill about forty feet in front of them, frozen staring at something.

"SEARGENT! IT'S A BABY!" Lieutenant Blake and the Sergeant shared a glance that said _'What the fuck?'_ and charged ahead, coming to a stop on either side of Hicks. They stared down at the weirdest sight they had ever seen. A blonde-haired baby was staring back up at them. It had been screaming, but had stopped upon seeing the three men. It stared up at them with these huge blue eyes and oddly scarred cheeks. Kerrigan arrived and she didn't pause like the men. She knelt down and picked up the child, cradling it in her arms.

Blake stared as Kerrigan's glazed over eyes snapped back into sudden focus.

"What?" she then stared down at the baby in her arms and did what any girl her age would do: Giggled and tickled the baby's scarred cheeks. The baby cooed and squirmed in her grasp. She looked up at the two stunned marines and the single lieutenant.

"I don't know what happened! Something called me here. I think…I think his name is Naruto." Blake raised an eyebrow then pulled out a radio.

"Drop ship Delta One, come in, over." He said into the radio.

"This is Delta One, we read you, over." Came the slightly static reply.

"We need pick up ASAP; something really weird is going on here. Tell the eggheads to send a couple of the mentals and a forensic team out to this beacon to investigate all they can."

"Roger, will do."

Blake nodded to himself. "Private, go back to the firing range and pick up the gear. Then double time back here." He commanded.

"Yes sir." Hicks saluted and bolted off.

"What the fuck is going on here Lieutenant?"

"I don't know Sergeant, but it will mean more paperwork for me when they find out." **(Yes, an evil no matter what universe you're in.)**

The sergeant chuckled and lifted his visor while pulling a cigarette pack out of an ammo pouch and offering it to Blake. Blake pulled two out and popped it into the sergeant's mouth, knowing how hard it was to not crush a cigarette no matter how fine the control of power armor was. He pulled out his trusty Zippo, lit both their cigarettes and inhaled deeply. He stared down at the baby and wondered what was gonna happen to the kid in the future.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto had landed in a harsh world as he would later grow up to learn. The world he landed on was a training facility for living weapons of the Terran Confederacy, which was the ruling government of all human worlds in their sector of the galaxy. Little did they know that they where not alone…well, at least the majority of Humanity knew or thought they where alone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Two weeks later**

The scientists had taken the newly dubbed 'Naruto' away from Kerrigan at first, but when he wouldn't stop crying, they eventually returned him to Kerrigan's charge after about two days and he calmed down.

Blake stared down at the child in the crib as he giggled and played with a large crude rattle that the Marines on the base had made. They had also made a crib out of scrap metal and lined it with scraps of cloth they used to make their comfortable and durable PT clothing. The scientists had at first been stumped. The older and more advanced Psychics kept on base to help teach the young potential Ghosts had investigated the area where he had been founded and concluded very little.

What they had found was surprising; they claimed they felt the residual effects of a massive psychic entity in the area. They surmised that some kind of entity had transported the kid there from god knows where, and it was very intelligent, immensely powerful and completely and utterly evil.

That had surprised the scientists that the psychics had claimed whatever had sent the boy there was evil. The forensics had found a small amount of blood on the boy's stomach which was a very similar DNA match to the boy's, but not identical. Identified as a parent, and most likely male, it was concluded that the father had tried to defend the boy from the evil entity. How he got the cheek scars was unknown at that point.

But this theory was blown out of the water when a Ghost graduate had blown a gasket at Kerrigan for apparently taking extra milk rations for the boy. He had made to grab the boy, but his left had touched the child's stomach and he just died. Later an autopsy would reveal his heart had been crushed by some unknown force.

At first it was thought that Kerrigan had done something with her repressed mental powers. But the oldest psychic on the base named Max had said different. He had been there when it happened. He had told everyone, even Kerrigan, to back away from the boy and had then hovered his hand over the boy's stomach.

Blake had been there when a strange tattoo appeared on the boys stomach for about twenty seconds and then disappeared when Max sat down, sweating profusely and panting in exhaustion. Well, everyone had thought it was exhaustion until they saw him shivering and his eyes were wide.

Blake would never forget what happened next.

"Something in that boy killed him." everyone had frozen.

"Some massive entity; old, powerful, wickedly intelligent, and evil beyond all reason is sealed somehow into his body. When the boy touched the seal, it perceived a threat to its vessel and had used the boys still developing mind to lash out and kill him." He paused and wiped sweat off his brow. "It won't hurt Kerrigan, since she isn't a threat. It's dangerous. It can't hurt the boy or even escape, or harm innocents. It's contained almost perfectly, except it can lash out when the child is in danger just like then, but something unexpected happened."

Kerrigan was currently holding Naruto tightly to her chest as he fell asleep, and was staring at Max as he continued to talk.

"The beast, I guess you could call it, used his mind to lash out. Since that was its only outlet, using the boy's body would have killed him. But it also somehow advanced his mind. I have no doubt he will develop psychic abilities, but not any I've ever seen before." He nodded and stopped talking, obviously done with his info. "Oh, and his cheek scars are marks of its containment. And I think they should be referred to as whiskers."

"One more thing," everyone who had thought he had finished looked at him again "He's not from this Universe."

"What, like a different dimension?" asked a marine.

"Yeah, something like that."

Blake shook his head and dismissed his musings as he stared down at the boy, wondering what would happen to him in the future.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Seven years later – Naruto now Seven years of Age**

Naruto groaned as he finished the large obstacle course. He was on Tarsonis now, even though he wished he was still on Vyctor 5 where he had been raised. Only one marine from his home had been transported with him; Lieutenant Hicks, who had been assigned as his trainer in physical fitness, hand to hand combat, knife combat, and using a rifle. The trained warriors had nothing but respect for a seven year old boy who could beat the course in no protection; just as they did in twice the time they did which was a feat in itself.

A group of marines in full armor had been watching him from the shade of a few trees. The area was large with a few trees, plenty of grass, and the massive wooden obstacle course. The only mar on the landscape was the telltale metal bulge of a half buried defense and fall out bunker.

Kerrigan had been ordered to remain behind. Even though she was considered unique with the potency and potential of her psychic powers, she had not been special enough to warrant being transported to the top secret facilities on Tarsonis. The reason he was there was not the monster contained within his body that was deemed inaccessible, and therefore of no interest, it was his unique psychic abilities. Ghosts always had telepathy and a small amount of precognition.

Naruto however, only had the small amount of precognition. His abilities were classified as war or battle orientated; pyrokinesis and telekinesis. The pyrokinesis was unique to him, as the ability to control fire had never been seen before, even though it was very poor.

He could pull off only one feat which was incinerating everything within a ten foot radius of himself. His telekinesis abilities were massive. While it had been seen before, the best most psychics with it could do was flick a light switch within five feet of them.

Naruto could lift hover cars and push assault tanks off course within two hundred feet of himself, though he couldn't do anything else while he was concentrating. He could also snap necks and implode hearts of his enemies.

He was currently lying down on the grass, recovering and thinking about Sarah, his big sister. Well, he would never tell anyone, but he only called her his big sister. In reality, he was convinced he loved her, though it was only a childish crush.

He knew the marines would never let him live it down if they found out, especially Christopher Hicks. That man had a wicked sense of humor. He chuckled as he heard said marine approach him.

"Speak of the devil. Hey Chris, what's up?" Several of the Marines had seen the lieutenant. And knowing how the man operated had merely waved at him. As far as Hicks was concerned, if they weren't on parade or in battle, he was just one of the boys. It was funny; he had the attitude and demeanor and even looks of a career sergeant, but had been promoted to officer anyway.

He was broad shouldered, heavily muscled, and would have been handsome if not for the stubble on his chin and cheeks, coupled with the burn scars on his face that he had received from a rogue ghost trainee blowing up a Firebat's (flame thrower trooper) napalm pack. He would have died from that, had Naruto not taken the brunt of the blast earning the then privates eternal respect and friendship. Naruto, with his strange ability to heal any and all wounds, had survived without any scars.

None of the Marines stationed on the Tarsonis post had believed the tale until Naruto was shot accidentally. And while they attempted to stop the bleeding the boy's body had instantly healed, pushing the bullet out as it did so.

Naruto noticed Hicks grim expression. "What's wrong?"

"The base on Vyctor 5 was hit by the Sons of Korhal. The official story is that Kerrigan died there." several of the marines swore, knowing the boys connection with the woman. Naruto was at first in shock, unable to comprehend when what had been said registered.

"Wait... official?"

"Yeah. What really happened was she joined up with Mengsk and his boys"

"W-why the hell would she go with them?"

"They where experimenting on her again apparently under Rumm"

Naruto lay still for a few seconds with a blank expression on his face. Hicks paled, knowing what was coming.

"MARINES! Double time it! Clear the fuck out!" they didn't have to be told twice. They evacuated the field quickly, and arrived at a nearby bunker. Hicks made sure everyone was in, and he slammed the door shut as he felt the air change. "LOCK IT DOWN!" the Marines were already on it, as none of them wanted to die just yet.

They were just in time when an immense heat could suddenly be felt inside the bunker. Christopher Hicks sighed in relief. No one had been hurt in this. They were the only ones out on the training ground. He waited a few minutes before checking the temperature gauge, which showed that the outside temp was only a few degrees higher than it had before the blast.

He turned the hatch lock and opened the steel door. He looked out and whistled. The awed voices behind him were a testament to what they saw.

"Well, he's never done this before." the area had been glassed. All the Marines had seen this when walking over old nuclear test sights. The area all around them was perfectly flat. Trees, rocks, outcroppings and the obstacle course were all completely gone. The grass had been burned away, and the rather sandy soil had been superheated into black glass.

One of the older Marines swore "Fuck me sideways, the eggheads are gonna love this. Shit, take some pictures boys; we can show off that our little 'Ruto can flame more faster than that stuck up squad of Firebats." the other Marines chuckled. There was a massive rivalry between the common and hardy Marines and the uncommon Firebats. Though most were reformed criminals, the Firebats were all once pyromaniacs, and tended to get other Marines killed when they charged into combat and got blown up when their tanks got hit.

Hicks walked slowly out. He may be a lieutenant, but as a former Marine, he was allowed to wear the full battle armor the same as his boys. So while able to observe the devastation, he wasn't suffering any discomfort from raised temperature or cut up feet from ground as sharp as glass. He grimaced to spot a small patch of none damaged ground and an unconscious seven year old boy lying in the exact centre of ground zero.

Hicks knew he had to report in. He groaned as he switched his inner suit communications over to the base frequency.

"This is Hicks, I informed Pyro" he spat out the codename for Naruto like it was rotten food "about the defection of Red (Kerrigan) as expected, he used his pyrokinetics to relieve his grief. Unlike the last few times, the devastation range is way bigger than twenty feet. I estimate without any actual measurements that it ranges to about one hundred square feet and the heat generated was enough to destroy all things higher than ground level within range, except for Bunker C2. And the heat was enough to glass the ground, a lot like a nuclear explosion."

"Hmm... all has been noted. Bring the boy in. End communication." Hicks nodded as one of the marines picked the boy up and positioned him carefully on the shoulder of his power armor.

"Okay boys, back to base. Mason, no one will blame you if you fall behind since you've got the boy." Mason nodded, though it was hard to tell. The power armor gave Marines a hunched appearance, since the head of the Marine was not sky lined like on a normal person. The motion of a nod was impossible to see. He had his visor down too, just like all the others so they couldn't be seen anyway. Experienced marines had found a crude way around this problem by bobbing their whole body.

Hicks grimaced, already suspecting that Naruto would now be experimented on, now that he was old enough. He was right.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the next five years of Naruto's life, Hicks was promoted to Colonel and was never actually transferred, but given command over all marines and other defense personnel in the hidden science facility on Tarsonis.

Naruto had gone through hell though. In his eighth year, he was informed of the beast in his belly and had spiraled into a massive depression. He was cured of this depression when Hicks beat it into him literally that he wasn't a monster. It was soon learned that after the child's first two years, the beast could no longer 'defend' the boy, as it had that first time, and could only heal him as it had done all along.

Soon after, experiments were done on suppressing and eventually enhancing his physical abilities. The suppressing didn't work, as it required microchips and other pieces of technology to be placed inside his body to suppress his psychic abilities. Thanks to the beast, this didn't work. The chips and other items where broken down and destroyed inside his body. This was, naturally, much to the joy of the scientists that were looking for an extremely resilient test subject and served to greatly anger the scientists that where searching for a way to control all psychics.

Thus the scientists who focused on improving the already advanced humans in the Ghost program were given sole custody of the now nine year old boy. He was put on all the standard Ghost drug programs, as well as some experimental ones. That's when Doctor Cross took over.

Doctor Cross surmised that Naruto could be the beginning of a new type of Ghost, instead of a silent assassin who used their psychic abilities to ensure their kills. He proposed a front line warrior who used his psychic abilities to crush and kill large numbers of the enemy. So the scientists used all the drug enhancement programs they had available which was far more than standard Ghost training facilities. They ended up enhancing Naruto's physical attributes to a point far beyond that of veteran Ghosts.

He could keep pace with a standard jeep while running flat out on an even surface like a road. He was stronger than most marines while they were in their powered armor. And by the age of twelve, Naruto was considered a master of hand to hand and knife combat. So was born Naruto, the ultimate living weapon of the Terran Confederacy.

He was also extremely proficient with the standard Ghost rifle, a 25mm C-10 Canister Rifle. He, unlike many Ghosts, had inherited a marine-like trait; an attachment to a particular weapon.

The weapon he was attached to was a gift. Something Sarah Kerrigan had given him before he was transferred and she defected to the Sons of Korhal. It looked like the standard Ghost Rifle and had the same attachments and performance abilities of a meticulously maintained weapon.

What was different about the weapon was the stylized patterns on the weapon. The stock of the gun had a raised design of a nine tailed fox, the same one that Kerrigan had once seen in a dream while hugging a five year old Naruto like an overgrown teddy bear. His name, as well as hers, was engraved on the hilt in English.

Naruto would never know that Hicks had long ago kept the necklace he was found with when he was supposed to dispose of it. Hicks fully intended to give it back to Naruto when the time was right. This, unfortunately, would be far too soon for anyone's comfort.

Naruto's psychic abilities had advanced massively in control, radius, and strength until Cross discovered an effective measure of suppressing his mental powers. It was a microchip that both benefited Naruto and hindered him, effectively tricking his apparent selective healing ability. Said healing ability had stumped them before when it had rejected hindrances to the boy and allowed beneficial experiments to be successful.

He was reduced to moving things and burning things within five feet. His previous massive powers were suppressed, and could only be released when codes were given to release different restriction levels. **(Think Alucard)**

He was never sent to any real hot zones, but several times he was shipped out with his familiar marine squad, who was almost like a family to him, to different worlds to hunt down and kill Bandits and dissidents.

But exactly five years after Kerrigan had been freed from the Confederacy's will, and exactly twelve years after Naruto had arrived in their universe, all hell broke loose.

An old, technologically advanced, and immensely powerful race known as the Protoss arrived in the Koprulu sector with a massive fleet and obliterated the rim world of Char Sara. When the Confederacy had mounted a rushed defense, the aliens had retreated without a fight. Naruto, despite being considered one of the best warriors of the entire confederacy, was kept out of the fight and remained stationed on Tarsonis.

But after the hit and run attack, a new threat was found. It was identified as the Zerg. These creatures were vastly different from the Protoss. They were a hive mind race and extremely aggressive, who had apparently infested the colony on Mar Sara. The Zerg were by far the most diverse species anyone had ever seen. While identified as a single race with an apparent hive mind system like certain types of insects, there were many different kinds of Zerg. They ranged from simple worker drones, to cannon fodder like creatures known as Zerglings, or far tougher beings called Hydralisks and many more.

The Zerg had an odd military like structure. The Zerg swarm was split into many different 'broods' that were identified by ranging color patterns on the shells and exoskeletons of the creatures. Some were more like research colonies while others where to be openly feared as vicious monsters that slaughter all in their path.

Naruto had read the reports on how a colonial Marshal Jim Raynor and a colonial Magistrate, merely named Jack, had been arrested for 'interfering' with a base's operations and 'destroying' Confederate property, along with a charge of disobeying orders. Reading between the lines, Naruto had grown to like the audacity of this Raynor and his friend, who had somehow rescued the base before it was overrun and destroyed before it had fallen into enemy hands.

Shortly after that, a report of a red-headed Ghost operative working for the Sons of Korhal had lifted Naruto's spirit. The report originated from a decimated Alpha Squadron base on Antiga Prime. Then shortly after that, Mengsk was accused of using some 'evil' technology which was most likely pilfered from the Confederacy to lure the Zerg swarms onto the unsuspecting Confederate forces on Antiga Prime.

All hell had broken loose until only one real bastion of Confederate strength remained: Tarsonis. The now traitorous General Edmund Duke had been sent with his newly christened Norad 2 to destroy the orbital Platform of New Gettysburg and place these 'Zerg Beacons' on the platform, bringing a massive wave of Zerg to the planet. Resistance was short-lived except for a few pockets of resistance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Naruto, now 12 years of age...**

Naruto swore heavily as he shot yet another lone Hydralisk from his prone position on a hill in the centre of their Pocket. Naruto, along with twenty Marines, led by Colonel Hicks, had managed to get out of the science facility before it was overrun. They had tried to make it to a nearby spaceport, but it had been completely destroyed. They had settled down in a lightly populated valley to try and find a place to evacuate or as one sergeant had so rightly put it: "Get the fuck off this infested ball!"

The reason Naruto was taking potshots at wandering Zergs? Simple; they were surrounded. But by picking off individuals, you made any eventual breakout easier. Naruto sighed when he saw a rather battered power suit with a large gash in one of the shoulder pads, walking methodically towards him. It was Hicks. He'd gotten the gash when a Hydralisk played dead when it was heavily wounded, and jumped him when he got too close. Naruto had remembered hesitating as the monster's jaws snapped open and shut centimetres from the colonel's visor, and inches from his face. The colonel had ignored its bladed arm in his shoulder pad, and had calmly held its head away while another marine moved up and caved its skull in with a precise rifle butt strike.

While there was now doubt, hundreds of different Zerg species that had yet to be named or even seen. The Hydralisk was one of the nastier customers you'd come across. It had no legs but rather a long snake like appendage which is sat upon rather like the Medusa of legend. The body then curved back to reach the torso. Its head sat forward on its body giving it a rather hunched appearance. The head had a long armored shield extending from the neck up and an ugly face at the end which appeared to be permanently set in a murderous grin with a healthy amount of drool. (**All pictures of all types of Units have links in my profile. Some may be missing but most aren't)**

Why were they so nasty? Two reasons. Because of the two ways they attack. One, razor sharp claws on the two limbs most beings would consider hands. And two, the upper part of its torso would flip up revealing hundreds of incredible sharp spines which could be fired with enough force to pierce battleship armor. **(You want a better description? Look them up please. I will try, but they won't do the actual creature justice)**. Plus their hides were hard to pierce. Like all Zerg, the hardened exoskeleton of all Zerg races made them hard to kill. When coupled with their ability to regenerate, Zergs were anyone's description of true monsters.

Now back to reality...

Naruto watched as Hicks approached, worry and determination clear on his face. Naruto remained prone as Hicks kneeled next to him. "Naruto I need you to do me a favor."

"Anything colonel." The young blonde replied.

"The Sons of Korhal have a small base about twenty miles from here. They're fighting the Protoss, who are trying to destroy the Zerg."

"What the fuck?" Naruto looked up at Hick's scarred face, wondering if he was screwing with him. His grim expression said no.

"They apparently want to make sure the Zerg wipe the Confederacy from the face of the planet. I don't know why; they've won already. Anyway, I want you to go by foot and find them there. It's your best bet of getting off this rock."

Naruto was about to nod, but he hesitated "Wait, _my_ best bet?" he repeated.

"Yes yours Naruto. You're going alone. None of us here are going anywhere. This world will be our grave." Hicks was prepared for Naruto to jump up and strike him, screaming obscenities and demanding to die with his friends. What he got was not something he expected. Quiet tears streamed down the boys face.

"Why Hicks, why can't you come with me?" Naruto whispered.

"All of us together wouldn't make it out of here alive. You're the only one stealthy enough to do it. Plus we voted that you have to go. Not a single vote against us staying and you leaving with a chance at survival."

"But-but why?"

"One of yesterday's scouts reported a swarm of about a thousand strong headed this way which should be here late tomorrow or the day after.."

"But…"

"Naruto, they have blue hides."

Naruto froze. The brood Surtur was identified in many ways. Firstly by a distinctive blue tint to their hides, as well as one irrefutable fact: They where the most dangerous and vicious of all identified swarms. They acted as a cleanup bomber unit, destroying all remaining resistance and anything else that got in there way. Whether it be abandoned structures, or friendly Zerg. And the only thing that kept them in check was the mass of the entire Zerg swarm keeping them contained until they where released.

Naruto was suddenly very calm. He knew how bad the situation was... well, bad was an understatement. They were pretty much doomed. But now it was certain death. All they had to do was wait.

"No, I'm not leaving. I want to die with you guys." Naruto had thought he had won the argument when Hicks gave a heavy sigh.

"'Ruto we know where those Korhal boys are, due to intercepted radio transmissions. We also know one other thing; Sarah is with them." Naruto looked up at Hicks in shock and then away in shame, tears streaming down his face. He had no choice anymore; he had to go. He had to leave his friends to die.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?" he asked dejectedly.

"Two things. One of them is this." Hicks held out his hand. Though if one knew the workings of marine armor, one would know it wasn't actually his hand. Marine armor protected the hands quite well. The marine's human hands manipulated the suits hands from inside the 'wrist' of the suit. There was a necklace resting on his 'palm'.

"We found this on you when you arrived in this universe. There are ancient Japanese words on the back, which state your name as Naruto Uzumaki. Or as they would have put it, Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto had always known he wasn't from this universe, but he had never really cared. It didn't affect him since all he needed were his friends.

"My name's Uzumaki?" he asked confusedly.

"No, no, I mean the ancient Earth Japanese put their surnames first for some weird reason. Anyway, the second thing…" he paused "Find her Naruto. Find the woman who holds your heart and be happy. You deserve that." Naruto gasped at Hicks knowing how he felt, but dismissed it as he got to his feet and Hicks followed him. Naruto felt like hugging the marine, but it wouldn't really be reasonable in the armor. Naruto was wearing a modified standard Ghost uniform. It was a form-fitting armored bodysuit with a lot more armor on the arms and legs than normal, as well as the normal goggles, but they where painted orange. He couldn't get red, his favorite colour, so he opted for the next best thing.

"Aww fuck it." Hicks chuckled as Naruto launched himself forward and awkwardly hugged the marine, who lightly patted the boy on the back.

"Naruto, you have to go now."

Naruto nodded and wiped away his tears. He walked down the hill past piles of rubble, and hauled himself on top of the makeshift defense wall. He turned around and saw all twenty marines lined up in ranks facing him. Sergeant Owens tossed him a pack full of supplies, ammo, food, etc.

"MARINES SALUTE!" yelled Sergeant Owens. All the marines saluted in perfect unison Naruto returned the salute. The stayed in the salute for a few moments before dropping their arms. Naruto turned to jump over the wall when Hicks' voice rang out.

"When you see Kerrigan, give her a kiss for each of us eh? And not just a peck, put some tongue in it boy." Naruto blushed crimson and turned back to yell at his oldest friend when Owens spoke his mind.

"And when you're old enough to screw her, remember all those magazines we showed you eh?" Naruto's face turned a reddish-purple as laughter filled the clearing.

"SHUT THE HELL UP ASS WIPES!" The marines laughed harder.

"You know what Owens? I'm gonna do page one hundred and four of that book you've got." he smirked when every single marine froze in shock. He laughed and jumped over the wall, knowing he would never see his friends again, but he would always remember them.

The marines had all frozen. Even the colonel. As they had all read the sergeant's special little book at least a dozen times apiece. The Colonel whistled tunelessly. "Think he can pull it off boys?"

One of the privates named Troll, for his immense strength and extremely ugly face, frowned making him seem even more grotesque. "I dunno sir, Naruto ain't all that flexible."

The Marines nodded in agreement but Owens pitched in once again.

"He might not be, but it'd be a nice way to die." the Marines howled with laughter and set about their final duties. Checking weapons and ammo, readying their final trap, and praying or consoling themselves in some way. The colonel brought out a bottle of twenty year old scotch, pouring every man a glass then throwing away the empty bottle.

"To Naruto! May he find what he's looking for," he paused, obviously not done "and get his brains fucked out for the trouble." the Marines cheered and drank. All of them prayed for their friend's safe journey.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto paused slightly behind a pile of rubble. He'd only moved a mile without any problems with nineteen more to go when he ran into them. He could feel the bastards. There were twenty Zerglings on the other side of the hill. He wasn't entirely sure how to deal with them when he heard a distant rumble. He glanced over the wall and saw the Zerglings were distracted by something.

They were blocking his only route. He popped up and fired a shot before hiding again. One Zerglings down, the group was now milling around, confused. Naruto shot up again and fired. Unfortunately this time he was spotted and did the only thing he could do. He stood his ground and fired again and again as the Zergs rushed towards him.

He reduced the numbers by nine when they were ten feet from him. He shot one more when he heard a loud whine in the air and the Zerg swarm faltered. The was a hollow boom and a large ball of blue energy slammed into the massed Zerg swarm, killing all but one who was disabled. Taking advantage of this, Naruto shot the last Zerg and looked around for his savior.

He froze in terror. A large quadrupedal vehicle stood about twenty feet from him. A light blue glow was visible at the top, evidence of it having just fired. He quickly identified it as a Protoss Dragoon. Heavily wounded Protoss templar their warrior caste could still serve their people by being encased in these heavy walkers, who provided anti air and anti ground assault back up for the far more common Protoss Zealot, also of the Templar caste, a hand to hand warrior.

Naruto knew he was in trouble. He didn't really have a chance against this half Protoss, half machine. But he was in luck; the Dragoon swayed slightly, a completely unnecessary motion. Naruto stared trying to figure out what the hell it meant when he remembered the bobbing motion marines used to nod. He bowed at the Dragoon, and something on the side flipped out, making him tense, preparing to jump away when he heard a deep rich chuckle.

"You're a good fighter child. May the Khala protect you in this forsaken place, En Taro Adun." Naruto laughed in relief and amusement as the Dragoon began to walk away.

"May the Khala protect you as well, friend" the only response he got was another chuckle.

Naruto wasn't entirely sure what the Khala was. He supposed it was some sort of religious thing like those Christian groups saying Godspeed and all that. Ghosts where raised atheist, so he had no real experience with religion.

He shook his head, clearing it of unnecessary thoughts and got moving again. He looked down at his gun to expel the almost expended clip when he noticed the rather light clip was already in a pocket and a full clip was in the gun. He stopped wondering when the hell it had happened then realized what he had done. It had happened to the sergeant once. He had fired off an entire clip once on a firing range then had ejected it and reloaded while talking to a newbie. He had then reached for a new clip and had been surprised to find he'd already reloaded. In short, he'd done it by reflex.

As he walked, he pulled out the almost empty clip and pulled out the last two rounds. He inspected them. C-10 canister rifle rounds weren't exactly the prettiest of things. They were not shaped like conventional bullets, they where just like the name said; canisters. Unlike bullets, which pierced the body and shredded the insides, C-10 rounds exploded on contact and the shrapnel generally shredded the target. They were excellent anti personnel weapons, but crap against armored units like Goliaths (walking bipedal tanks) and assault tanks **(you figure it out)**.

The canisters were small and loaded in the same manner as normal bullets. They also had a small brass jacket like any other bullet. So basically they where flat fronted explosive bullets, that where about 25 millimetres long.

He popped the two bullets into a side pouch, as he had been taught to later use them and any other spares to load an empty clip. When his hand dived into the pouch on his left cheek for a ration bar he felt something in there that he didn't recognize by touch. He pulled out a rather normal looking black book with the words 'Vacation Bible for the average marine' printed on the front in gold letters. He flipped it open and read a small scrolled note on the inner cover.

_Hey Naruto,_

_I'm not sure when you'll find this, but I'm sure you will. Anyway, this book is special. It's not supposed to exist, and is effectively banned. So naturally, everyone wants it but can't have it. This book is special, as I got it from my sergeant, and he got it from his, and it is every possessor of this book's duty to add more notes to it where they see fit. This will help you greatly in life, and make sure to pass it on to someone you deem worthy. Now open it up and have a look. Keep an eye on the margins for helpful added tips. Now, remember that this book is _very _old. It may look new because every ten years or so, it is the possessor's duty to reprint it with all added notes added into the text. So there are fifty blank pages in the back for you to use, and don't forget the margins._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Christopher Hicks_

Naruto raised an eyebrow and turned the page. He stared and stared then flushed red.

He sucked in a deep breath.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICKS!!!"

Sergeant Owens's head snapped up. "You hear that sir? It sounded like Naruto, and he sounds pissed."

"Yes it was Naruto, and I suspect he found my little present," all the Marines were listening now.

"The little black book." there was a collective gasp. That book was fabled. They knew their colonel possessed it, but only Owens had ever seen him with it.

"I believe he will use it well, and it might as well make it off this ball."

"Sir, was it updated recently?"

"Yes. Just before all hell broke loose here. That book is a legendary piece of history boys. It was originally a pamphlet issued to all marines about three hundred years ago. However it was deemed a waste of paper and never done again. A young private started it by writing down all the things in it into a book and adding more and more until he passed it on. That's what's been happening ever since. I compacted it, and it's now almost one thousand pages long."

One young private raised his hand. "Sir, what exactly _is_ the book? Not even the guys seemed to know. Its just 'The Book'?" he asked, using his hands to make quotation signs when he said 'The Book'.

Hicks chuckled "Well son, it is the most extensively written collection of techniques in recent history on how to pleasure the female body."

"So the legends were true." everyone looked at Owens who had whispered the words. "It was said that the book is almost constantly revised as the possessor discovers new things to do, or different way to do something, or just even more detail on a certain action. My god, if he reads the thing cover to cover, no woman will be safe from the soon-to-be sex god who will be come to known as Naruto." there was a collection of nods.

"Uhh colonel, how much did you add?"

"Well, each possessor is required to reprint the book and add in all their collected notes, and then leave fifty blank pages for the next. The one I gave to Naruto was the third time I reprinted it, since I filled it up twice." There was a collective gasp and all of them where looking at their smirking captain in awe.

"Okay boys time to get back to work." they nodded, well bobbed, and got back to setting up their little trap for the Zerg.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto chuckled slightly at Hick's wicked sense of humor. He stared down at the book for a few seconds before sighing heavily, blushing slightly, and putting it back in his pouch.

He continued to move at a rather leisurely pace... if you consider moving so fast you blur slightly to the normal eye and flitting from rubble pile to rubble pile to give yourself cover leisurely. He traveled a fair distance without any problems when disaster struck.

It wasn't disaster in the form of enemies or danger from the environment; it was disaster from within Naruto's own mind. He got cocky.

He didn't remember an important lesson of warfare; it is important to be confident, but being overconfident will get you killed.

Naruto grinned as he moved, thinking of meeting up with Kerrigan. He was so caught up that he missed a slight movement to his left a short distance in front of him. The first clue Naruto had that alerted him to the fact he was under attack was a massive pain in his left shoulder. He was stunned from the blow as the force of it sent him flying backwards. as he came to a stop he quickly checked his left shoulder. A large spike was sticking out of it, he recognized it.

"FUCK!" he shouted as he pulled it out and rolled away as more Hydralisk spines were shot at him.

Naruto rolled into a crouch and then jumped away as more spines were shot at him. Hydralisks were known to have only twenty or so in the actual pouch-like section that fired them. But they were re-grown inside their bodies in seconds so a constant pace of fire could be kept up. No reload time.

He jumped again. While in mid air, he fired a shot that glanced of the Hydralisk's carapace. But it was sufficient enough to force the Hydralisk to turn away for a second. That second allowed Naruto to pump a shot into its less well-armored skull, killing it. Unfortunately for the blonde, it was not alone. A low rumble and a sudden depression in the ground where the centre started to crumble away was the telltale sign of a Zerg that had buried itself; a common practice for the freaks from another planet. But this was not the worst part; it was happening all around him, and that was _really_ bad. Naruto ran for it.

He only realized how bad it had gotten when he heard a slithering sound and a glob of some red substance shot past him. A small amount touched his shoulder and burned him. It was only when the rock it landed on began to melt that he identified his attacker.

"A Defiler! DAMN IT ALL!" he spun on his heel and spotted the Defiler. It was a large centipede-like creature with large pincer jaws and spines on its side.

A Defiler was essentially a walking toxin factory. When he had turned 180 degrees, he fired the shot, exploding the head of the Defiler. He backpedaled and fired again and again as Zerglings dug themselves up and rushed towards him. He shot the last one a few feet from himself when a growling and unnaturally deep voice spoke from nearby.

"For the Overmind." he stopped and turned to the left.

A thing was running towards him. He'd heard rumors about these damn monsters, but never seen a picture of them. An Infested Human or Terran, the thing was a former marine that had become infested by the Zerg, and now sported several new razor sharp appendages, as well as random tendrils hanging from certain parts of its armor. It ran towards him, steadily getting closer. Naruto raised his rifle and fired as soon as possible.

Its knee exploded. The C-10 canister had taken its leg off completely. Naruto thought it was over and that he was lucky he stopped it ten feet from him. He wasn't so lucky at all. The young Ghost's eyes widened when the former human laughed then seemed to swell in places. It laughed again and the world went white.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A pile of rubble shifted and a low groan could be heard. Stones rattled as a battered and bruised body sat up dispersing the rocks and other debris that had buried him.

"What. The. Fuck?"

That thing had exploded. Naruto dismissed trying to figure out what had happened for more immediate issues such as checking his wounds and getting all his shit together. He took in his surroundings immediately after he found his gun and his backpack a short distance from himself. He looked like he was in a residential area if the corpses of civilians and rubble that looked like dwellings was any indication. He spotted a relatively untouched structure. It was apparently a local convenience store with a sign saying 'Uncle Joe's Store Next Door. We stock plenty of cold beer." **(I do too, mmm; VB Aussie brand)**

Naruto grinned at his good fortune. That store would have food and things he could make crude medical supplies out off. He picked up his stuff and limped over there. The short walk of about fifty feet proved how badly wounded he was. He entered the store to find that there was no power and no front windows, but a small room with no windows and an out of the way door, which was obviously a break room, due to the small cot, table and chair. He set his stuff down and got to work.

He supposed he was in shock and that's why the third degree burns didn't hurt him other than hampering his movements. He found what he really needed; the only real medical supply he needed with his healing abilities; whiskey.

He grabbed a bottle and shuffled back to the break room. He got inside and blocked the door with the table. He had to drop the whiskey bottle on the bed, as his left hand had stopped working. He could feel twinges of pain starting to run through his body. He knew it was going to get far worse real fast. He sat down on the bed and grabbed the bottle. He couldn't open it so he smashed the top of the bottle against a wall.

He held the jagged edge to his lips and drank heavily, ignoring the sharp edge slicing into his lip. He finished about three quarters of the bottle when the pain hit. He cried out and curled up on the bed, shuddering in agony. The whiskey kicked in and he passed out, the remnants of the bottle smashing on the floor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Back at the marine encampment**...

Hicks swore loudly, the Zergs were here. "Fucking blue-hided bastards." The Surtur swarm was here to play.

His marines were already firing from cover, but it wasn't doing any good. The Zerg weren't advancing in waves, but en masse; one thousand monsters charging twenty marines.

"MEN TO THE ALAMO!" the marines abandoned their posts and entered the single standing building, which was an old school.

The men stood at the windows as the swarm approached, fifty feet.

"Boys," all heads turned towards the colonel "It was an honour fighting with ya. Any last words?" they all nodded grimly.

Twenty five feet.

"Yes sir;" said Owens "BURN IN HELL YOU FUCKERS!" the marines laughed.

They were at the windows. Men screamed as claws slashed into them. Hicks pressed a button and grinned _'Goodbye Naruto... my son.'_ The world died.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto, lying passed out and healing on a bed five miles away, shifted in his sleep as the ground shook. He would never know the true fate of his friends, and would forever wonder about it. If he had gone outside, he would have seen a mushroom cloud from the micro nuke the Marines had found and used. The nuke glassed the entire valley and incinerated all the Zergs that where attacking.

Twenty good men took out one thousand monsters at the cost of their own lives. But in that single moment, none prayed for their own salvation. All prayed for the survival and prosperity of a single twelve year old boy they all saw as a little brother, a nephew, or even a son. Their sacrifice would go unremembered and unknown. They didn't care, Naruto would always remember them.

Naruto stirred slightly in his sleep, some subconscious nudge telling him what happened. A tear streaked down his pained face. A whisper could be heard. "I'll miss you guys." he fell into a deep sleep once again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto groaned. He'd gotten drunk once before when he was eleven, and had seen the results of a large fire sweeping through a small community on Antiga. He had gotten drunk to destroy the memories of the corpses of families, but most particularly the memories of setting the fire in the first place under orders. It didn't work. He only woke up with a mild headache and no other symptoms. When Hicks had figured out that an eleven year old kid who drank him under the table literally had woken up with only a small headache, he had been pissed. He put Naruto through the most vicious training session in his life.

It was the same now; small headache, no other side effects. He sat up and checked himself out. No wounds, some permanent scars on his hands, and what felt like one on his face. His clothes were gone. He walked back out into the store naked and found the sturdiest clothes he could and dressed himself up.

He ended up dressed in some sturdy khaki pants with several pockets, a black shirt and a leather fur rimmed jacket simply because he thought it looked cool. He grabbed some food, some essential supplies, and some other things too.

Naruto got back into his room, blocked the door, and settled down. He was healed, but still weak. He'd give it another 24 hours before he moved. He settled down on the bed and spread out what he'd picked up. Some packets of sealed meat, but he wasn't sure what kind it was. Cows were rare and reserved for officials of the Confederacy, so he figured it was some local animal, probably one of them lizard things that ate nothing but grass and roots. He tore open the packet after reading it was sandwich meat and pre-cooked. He grabbed a slice and chewed on it slowly as he checked his other stuff.

Three boxes of matches plus a Zippo (These things will outlive mankind) some more meat, a few fruits that weren't rotten, which meant he had salvaged two apples and a single can of cold beer, a small flash light, a pack of batteries for it, a couple of newspapers and a couple of books, and finally, a small metal case which he tucked into a pocket of his new jacket. He picked up a piece of glass which was reflective and he checked out his image. He whistled; he had one nice scar.

It started on his right cheek and cut across his whisker marks, then up just under his eye, across the bridge of his nose, and up to the left side of his forehead stopping just before his hairline **(Think Squall, but longer. I don't own this either).** How he got it without losing an eye, he didn't know. But he did know where it had started, as the beginning of the scar on his cheek was deep enough to create a blackened furrow on his skin and tapered off to a thin white line on his forehead.

He hoped it made him look more attractive, because he knew some scars did, but he wouldn't know. He wasn't an expert on such things. He pulled out the small metal case, flipped it open, and pulled out a long thin cigar. He looked at it for a second before putting it in his mouth **(You know that snipping thing they do in the movies? Lets imagine it was pre done.)** he lit a match and ignited the cigar, sucking on it** (Yea I know, bite me.)** to make sure it caught. He sucked in the smoke and coughed violently for a few seconds before spitting.

He sighed and tried again this time getting used to it.

"Not bad." his voice was slightly muffled by the cigar in his twelve year old mouth. It wasn't like it was going to kill him. He opened the beer, took the cigar out and drank "To you guys. May you find Valhalla." it wasn't commonly known, but a good portion of marines, despite having been subjected to Neural Resocialization, which generally eliminated religious beliefs, believed in the Old Norse version of warrior's heaven.

Minus the gods, they just believed in a place good soldiers go when they die. He finished the beer and continued to slowly smoke the cigar, starting to really enjoy it. The addictive qualities were unknowingly being neutralized by the fox in his belly. He picked up his remarkably intact belt and pulled out the little back book. He idly flicked threw it and then on a whim skipped to the end.

On the last page was another message:

_Hopefully, dear new possessor of the Book, you read the small message detailing that you skip to this page before you read the book. Now, you should already know a small amount of history to this book and that will be all you need to know. But here is a list of rules you must follow, and the last owner would have deemed you the kind of man that would follow the rules._

_1. Never ever hand it to another male, ever it must always be with you. It is acceptable to let a woman you are sleeping with regularly like a wife or girlfriend to read the book so they can point out things for you to try._

_2. This book is designed, written, and intended for very specific and unfortunately rare men. It is not designed for men who will use this book and its contents to seduce women, fuck them, and walk away. This book is to entice women, and use the skills and techniques recorded in this book to give pleasure to them, simply for the sake of giving her pleasure. You must be the kind of man who gains emotional and mental satisfaction and pleasure for giving physical pleasure to a woman._

_3. You must pass it on to another male, just like has been described. It is also your duty, if you, can to record new techniques or different ways to do things, and then add them in when you get this book reprinted. _

_4. The man you hand this too must be younger than you, as he will have more chance to actually use it. The one to own this book next should preferably be a teenager, or if you must, a man in his early twenties. The youngest recorded owner of this sacred tome was 14. If you are younger; CONGRATS DUDE. Please update this piece of information as well._

_Yours in providing Orgasmic wonder,_

_Vance "Van" Wilder the 43__**RD**_

He started to read the book from the first page, blushing slightly the entire time. He finished the stogie, wondering if he was now addicted and polished off the beer, ate some more food and went back to sleep.

**(Now Naruto smoking a cigar and drinking a beer will seem odd for a twelve year old, however you must take certain things into account. 1 he grew up with marines and they wouldn't care. 2. He is doing it mostly to honor his friends who he believes have fallen. 3. His world has just ended so he felt like it.)**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto woke up suddenly. His first thought was that he'd only wake up this suddenly if there was a threat. He got up, grabbed his rifle and listened, ignoring the cold floor on his bare feet, or how he was naked from the waist up. Something was moving about in the shop. he moved the table that was blocking the door as silently as he could. He listened he could hear something shuffling around a few feet from the door.

He held his rifle awkwardly in his left hand, his finger on the trigger and balanced it on his hip. He opened the door with his right hand. As the door opened into the room, which he thought absently, was extremely convenient, he leaned left with his gun poking out of the door and he glanced in. Whatever it was, it was tall but slightly hunched over. He aimed ready to fire.

"Somebody help me, please." he froze at the whisper, lowering his gun. He swung the door all the way open and saw the owner of the voice.

It was a woman, cradling something in her arms. She spotted him and gasped. She smiled and staggered over to him, tears starting to stream down her face. He saw what she was carrying the body of a five year old boy.

"Help my boy, he's hurt. Please, sir." Naruto nodded and gently took the boy as the mother handed him too her. He guessed her to be about twenty-five. He set the boy down on the bed, too baffled to immediately notice his condition.

He looked at the boy. _'Aww, damn.'_ he was clearly dead. No pulse, he wasn't breathing, as well as the blue lips and glazed over empty eyes were all signs. He glanced at the mother who was standing behind him with an extremely hopeful expression on her face. She was smiling wide, and was almost glowing. Naruto turned back to the boy, and tried to spot a means of death. He noticed some light bruising on his ribs and pressed there, gently feeling one of the lower ribs on his right side shift around.

'_Damn! Punctured liver! He would have died fast.'_ he turned and looked at the mother, who suddenly looked worried. "C-Can you help him?" he stood and shook his head, not trusting his voice. She lunged forward, screaming incoherently, obviously going to grab her son. He caught her and held her as she struggled. She soon stopped and started to sob. He idly noted she was rather short, only being an inch taller than him, even though he was 5'2" and tall for his age.

"I-I'm sorry miss; he's dead." she stiffened and pulled back to stare into his eyes.

"No." he barely heard it. "No…No... No… NOOOOOO!" she started screaming and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Naruto was thoroughly uncomfortable with the situation. A hysterical woman was aghast, and she was pressed against him. He did the only thing he could: He wrapped his arms around her.

They stayed like that until she couldn't cry anymore about an hour later.

"I-I'll go bury him. You stay here ok?" she nodded absently and sat on the edge of the bed as he lifted the body and walked out. He walked about twenty feet from the building, found a small ditch, set down the body, and quickly covered him with rubble.

He walked back and noticed she was out in the store again. She was sitting on her knees and hunched over.

He walked up. "Hey." nothing. He touched her shoulder and gasped when she just slumped over. "Fuck." she had stabbed herself in the chest with his knife. "Oh, Goddammit Naruto you fucking idiot! Never leave a possible weapon near someone who is in this condition! YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" he sighed, leaned down, and pulled out his knife.

He looked at her, and then at his knife, and tossed the bloodied knife aside. He'd had it for three years, and it had served him well. But he could never use it again now. It would remind him of this, and he couldn't handle that. He lifted her cooling body and carried her to the same place as her son. He did the right thing and dug up her child, found a bigger crater, and buried them together.

He walked back, gathered his stuff, put on his shirt, left his knife, and trudged out. As he walked, out he spotted something that made him fly into a rage; a Zergling was trying to uncover the corpses. He raised his rifle and charged, the sound of his heavy boot steps caught the vermin's attention. It looked up just as he pumped a shot into its head.

He stared, then shook his head and focused on his main objective: Surviving. He walked away without looking back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto glared at nothing. He'd traveled fifteen miles and swore he could occasionally hear what sounded like gunfire. But he'd run into a significant problem: A small Zerg Hive **(in the game any Zerg base is called a Hive cluster even if they don't have a Hive)** blocked his way. He had cover up until it, and cover continued beyond it. But all around was just rubble, just not enough of it to hide in. He was screwed and he knew it. Whatever cerebrate which had been heard of, but never really seen, that was in control round here was one smart bastard.

The base was small. It was a single hatchery with three sunken colonies; living buildings that used tendrils under the ground to strike any nearby on foot enemies. It had a couple of scourge, which were basically flying anti-air bombs, and about forty Zerglings. Not much, but too much for one kid.

He groaned. There was no way around the base, and he had no chance of sneaking through it. He'd have to double back at least five miles. But he got lucky; salvation was at hand.

There was a whining sound in the air and he'd dismissed it as part of the Zerg's hives ambient noise. But it was approaching, and obviously not part of the Hive. There was a rattling sound that sounded like rapid gunfire and one of the sunken colonies exploded in a fountain of gore and a couple of screeching Zerglings.

There was a new sound that came along a second or two later. Something was humming; something that glowed and was moving very fast collided with one of the Scourge, destroying it and another of its brethren in the ensuing explosion. Then he saw the attackers; Protoss scouts. The main aerial fighter of the Protoss fleet might have been named a scout, but it was strong enough to face the main air fighters of the other races. Six Protoss fighters devastated the base which had no anti air protection. Naruto knew some reinforcements would arrive relatively soon. He had to move.

He got to his feet and sprinted forward, hoping to cover the couple hundred metres to the next crater field as quickly as possible. He was rushing across the 'creep' the fleshy organic substance that covered the ground around any and all Zerg buildings when he heard an odd crumbling sound.

It sounded oddly like digging; "Shit!" he prepared to bolt as he recognized the sound as a Zerg coming up from under the ground. But the problem was that the sound was all around him. He stopped his sprint and quickly came to a complete stop. He was surrounded. His mind blanked in horror as he was surrounded by at least a hundred Zerg, Zerglings, Hydralisks, a handful of Infested Terrans, and a single Worker Drone.

A certain part of his brain which was always calm and detached noted the drone looked a lot like a crab, but with fleshy protrusions like the webs between the toes of a frog. His stared changed to a look of despair then to one of rage.

"You bastards..." Naruto began, quivering with rage.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!" the Zerg stared impassively, apparently perfectly willing to let him make the first move. The infested humans chuckled.

'_Kerrigan. Oh god Kerrigan, I'm gonna see you if it's the last thing I do.' _he grinned.

The Zerg en masse shifted slightly, sensing something was off with their prey. A single Zergling charged. He died instantly. Though the Zerg didn't really have faces that could show any emotion they where surprised as they looked on the burning carcass of one of their own.

"You won't keep me from her. No one will. NO ONE CAN!" The Zerg as one charged.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Protoss scouts returning from their mission tumbled in the air, due to extreme turbulence. The lead Protoss named Neratul activated his communicator with a thought, "Templar, please send this communication directly to the adjudicator."

"He is out in the field dealing with a human attack. He can't be reached, flight leader." The Templar replied.

"Well patch me through to him somehow; this is important."

"I'll do what I can flight leader. Hold on a moment." The comm. went static.

Neratul waited, as he could feel his pilot brethren anxiously waiting for permission to go check out the disturbance.

"This is Tassadun. What was so urgent flight leader?"

"Adjudicator, we completed our search and destroy. Minutes later we encountered severe turbulence due to physic backlash. Requesting permission to turn back and check the epicenter of the event." He frowned when he heard a sigh on the other end... Well as best a Protoss can frown with a face that was bare of nothing but skin, eyes, and a pair of protrusions for eyebrows. No one except the Protoss knew how they eat. **(To be honest, that sort of thing doesn't come into bearing in the game, since you don't see anyone eat. I figure they gotta have a mouth somewhere, but no idea where.) **

"I'm sorry Flight leader, but we need you to be back here as soon as possible. The humans identified as the Sons of Korhal have already destroyed a large portion of the Auriga base."

The leader swore **(Again Protoss don't have any swear words I am aware of, so I'll just put it like this. Also, Zerg don't have a language, and humans... well that's obvious.), **then prayed for a few moments for forgiveness before leading his flight back to base. Had they investigated, it wouldn't have mattered. Upon arriving home, Neratul and his flight were obliterated along with the rest of the Protoss air support by a nuclear explosion. The Protoss where stranded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto took in great heaving breaths; sweat drenched his clothes and ran down his face, only to steam soon after due to the intense heat of the air. The entire Zerg base had been glassed. Nothing was left. Naruto looked around and cried out at spotting a single Zerg.

He frowned when he noticed the drone, and that it had changed color. It was brown now. It was frozen. He walked up to it and it still didn't move. He tapped it and fell on his ass in shock when it crumbled into dust.

"Well shit!"

He kneeled down for a second, still panting. He waited for a few minutes before he stood to his feet and started to trot away. He knew he was relatively close to the base since he'd been heading in its general direction this entire time. He traveled for a few more minutes when he began to hear distant gunfire.

He crested a small hill and immediately ate dirt. While six Zerglings weren't a whole lot, walking into the middle of them was still a bad idea. He prepared himself checked his gun and jumped to his feet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The woman was glad her cloak was on and had been fully charged before she went out onto the field to scout. Sure, she was Mengsk's main representative at the last real human base on Tarsonis and technically in charge, but the former Magistrate, who only ever gave his name as Jack, had proved to be an excellent strategist and was constantly watching the enfolding battle and sending down new battle plans to counteract. The man was a genius. Even from high in orbit in a little lawn chair he'd carried all the way from Mar Sara in the War Room of the Hyperion. He would watch the battle on the main screen and would send down split second minute changes to the overall plan that generally saved lives, or caused massive devastation on enemy weak points.

However she was generally supposed to stay at the base. Jimmy was the front line soldier. "Damn him, trying to play the knight in shining armour while I'm supposed to be some damsel. That I didn't need." She grumbled.

Right at this moment by thinking of her only male friend, she was suppressing thinking of her little brother. She had at one point, after Tarsonis's infestation, had seriously considered where he could be. All she remembered was him being sent to some special facility. She'd then asked Mengsk about it, and he had confirmed her darkest nightmares; he had been on Tarsonis.

Not even Raynor had been able to get through to her as she sobbed herself to sleep. Her oldest friend, her first friend, and her little brother. Her Naruto was dead... and she had helped.

Her almost permanent state of depression was probably why she was scouting alone; a little bit of a death wish. She was glad to encounter the half dozen Zerglings.

'_Good, an excuse to kill something.'_ she ignored the little psychic tingle, dismissing it as what always happened when she was close to Zerg forces. She was in the process of lazily raising her rifle when there was a clatter of rocks and the first Zergling exploded.

Five more rifle shots followed. and in her slight shock she registered them as C-10 rifle shots. The last shot took out the legs of the final Zergling. Her eyes widened in shock when a tall man walked calmly towards the wounded Zergling, casually lifted what appeared to be a heavily customized rifle, and fired a single shot.

She took in his appearance. He was tall about as tall as her, but looked really young. He moved with almost no sound, almost like a Ghost; every move precise and efficient. Nothing wasted. He moved like a warrior. Like a predator. It was obvious he was a trained warrior, but he sure as hell wasn't wearing normal ghost attire.

He was dressed in sturdy civilian clothes. A pair of khakis pants, combat boots, a black shirt, and a fur lined jacket **(Bomber jacket. You know, stereotypical fighter pilot jacket.). ** He had an army belt with several pouches, and a large, obviously stuffed, backpack that was torn and weighed down by rocks, twigs and some camo netting, obviously to reduce the outline so if he had to go prone with it on he wouldn't look suspicious.

He glanced around when his face was clearly in her direction. She gasped loudly and took a step back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto grinned as he looked at the dead Zerg. He looked around and heard a sound. He dropped his bag, brought up his gun, and aimed it at where he thought the sound had come from. Now that he concentrated, he could feel something there. He didn't know what the hell it was. He hoped to whatever gods existed it wasn't some kind of Zerg that could become invisible.

"Oh god," he glared at seemingly empty air as a female voice spoke "Naruto." his eyes widened and his gun lowered slowly.

"Who the hell is there?" he heard a sob.

"D-don't you remember me?" there was a shimmer in the air and a figure appeared.

Long luscious red hair, bright beautiful light blue eyes **(I dunno what her real eye color is but I saw a pic with this eye color and it was hot.)** a sculpted face and a voluptuous body. Her curves couldn't be hidden by the slightly bulky, even if body hugging, Ghost suit.

"S-Sarah!" she nodded, tears streaming down her face, a massive smile threatening to split it open. Naruto did the only thing he could do:

He fainted.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Gate guard, Private Daniel Carter, was shocked to say the least when he spotted through his telescope every S.O.K (Sons of Korhal) soldier's wet dream: Lieutenant Sarah Kerrigan. He got a good look at her face while he could, and boy, did it confuse him. Her eyes where all red and puffy like she had been crying **(This is one hell of a telescope ok)** but she had a massive, happy smile on her face.

She also looked like she had someone slung over her shoulder.

He waved to her as she strode past, a tall young man slung over her shoulder. She waved back, her hand blurring in her enthusiasm. She giggled and it turned into full blown laughter as she walked past, her cargo groaned as he slowly started to come too.

Daniel shook his head in bewilderment. He figured scuttlebutt would tell him what the hell was going on. He settled down to continue his shift.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kerrigan grinned like mad as she stared down at Naruto's sleeping form as she waited for the base doctors to get back to her on his physical condition. She wondered where he got the scar on his face that seemed to make him look dangerous even while sleeping.

As if on cue, a doctor walked into the room at just that moment.

"Well what can you tell me doctor?" she asked hopefully.

"From what we where able to discover on our own, not a hell of a lot. Just his overall health, which is top notch." Kerrigan frowned; they had to have more.

"However, after recording his name and DNA, we fired them off to the fleet and received a large data file in return. Seems Mengsk had a file on him. Real detailed too: where he was, what he was trained in, etc."

"What?" the doctor froze. Her tone was dead.

"Uh, Mengsk seems to have had an extensive file on this boy for awhile."

Kerrigan growled. Mengsk had known! He had known all along where the person she was looking for had been, and had lied to her face about knowing anything! She felt like shooting him, but had other things to deal with right at the moment.

"So what has been done to him?"

"Well his physical attributes are far more enhanced than even veteran Ghosts, so he's stronger, faster, and a hell of a lot more resilient than you, Lieutenant. His apparent healing ability has rendered him immune to a massive amount of toxins, but he has to be exposed to them first so he can develop an immunity."

The doctor paused as he leafed through a file.

"His training was far more intense than normal, as he was obviously being molded into a weapon. It worked to an extent, as they tried to eliminate his emotions, but it didn't work. He only has one implant unlike most Ghosts. Like you, it suppresses his abilities, and apparently was designed to have release states. The implant however, also aides him, as his healing ability destroys any hindrances on his body or mind. The chip enhances his thinking speed. He thinks slightly faster than the most humans."

"That's it?" she asked.

"Yeah." He replied shortly.

"Thank you, you're dismissed." She said with a wave of her hand.

"Yes ma'am."

The doctor walked out, leaving a young woman who was flying through a storm of emotions. Love, joy, excitement at seeing Naruto again, grief, rage, and hate towards his suffering, those who had done this, and those who had kept this from her respectively.

Her eyes widened and her thoughts flew out the window when the only other occupant in the room groaned.

Naruto groaned and rolled over, natural instincts to stay in a warm safe bed overriding his intelligence and training. He felt a hand on his shoulder "Five more minutes..." he moaned.

"Get up." Kerrigan told him.

"Uuuuhhh, noooo."

"Come on, get up."

"Fuck off."

SMACK!!!

"OOOOWWW!"

Naruto sat bolt upright, holding his stinging cheek and glaring around the room.

"How dare you speak to a lady like that!" then he noticed who else was in the room. And unfortunately, he spoke before it fully registered what was going on.

"Pfft, lady my ass."

SPLASH!!!

"AAAAAAAAIEEEEEEE! COOOOOOLD!!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto both loathed and loved what was happening right now. He had been ranting about getting cold water poured on him, and how it was wrong when Sarah, to shut him up, ran a hand across his cheek. He purred.

God he hated that. When she first learned about it, she had spent an entire day giggling herself hoarse as she stroked his cheeks. However that was not his only weakness. She switched from running her hands across his whiskers to running them through his hair. He groaned loudly and his right foot started twitching, Kerrigan giggled a surprising sound from a woman that battle hardened.

"I win." She declared in victory.

"Damn you..." said Naruto half-heartedly.

However Naruto was not without his own weapons. He snaked a hand around her, shot it under her shirt and tickled her back. Kerrigan gasped and stiffened; Naruto knew Kerrigan was ticklish in many places... well, pretty much all over, except her lower back. Touching her there made her stiffen up like she had been electrocuted. At least Naruto could partially resist having his whiskers messed with, but Sarah was effectively disabled except for some minor struggling when tickled there. **(No joke I know someone like this)**

"Noooooo! I thought you forgot!" she cried, with that sentence broken up by gasps giggles and one groan.

The door opened.

"What the...?"

Naruto froze; he suddenly realized how bad their position looked. They where standing inches from each other, he was soaking wet, her hand was fisted in his hair, and he had one hand under her shirt on her back while his other held her remaining hand away from them both.

Currently, a burly looking sergeant was looking at them both while frozen in the doorway.

"Uhh, Lieutenant?"

Kerrigan blushed lightly jerked herself away from Naruto.

"What is it Sergeant?" she asked brusquely.

"Uhh," he shook his head for a second before focusing "The Protoss are gone. After we destroyed their air power, they were about to be overwhelmed by the Zerg when a Protoss ship in orbit shuttled them out of there. Now the Zerg seem to be amassing to attack us."

Kerrigan nodded, touched Naruto on the arm before quickly exiting, leaving a bewildered noncom. The sergeant turned to leave.

"Hey sarge." Naruto called.

"Yeah kid?"

"Can you show me where my stuff is?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few minutes later, Naruto stood in a slightly battered but clean jacket, his khaki pants, and all his other paraphernalia. He was currently performing a weapons check as he stood just outside the door of the communications building.

Groups of marines, tank drivers, goliath and wraith pilots ran to and fro around him as they prepared to defend their base, as well as evacuate, their mission completed. Naruto however was worried, his gut was telling him something bad was going to happen. He also had always been connected to Kerrigan, and now that they were in close proximity again, he could sense her emotions.

While she was alone in the com room she had gone from worry, to extreme nervousness, then to terror, and she had finally settled on both hopelessness and rage. The door shot open and Kerrigan appeared to be crying.

Naruto didn't ask anything. He just waited.

"No rescue. Mengsk is abandoning us and the planet."

Naruto simply watched for a few more seconds before wordlessly hugging her, then climbing on top of a nearby tank.

"OI!" he shouted as loud as he could. Almost everyone in the immediate area turned towards him.

Someone tossed him a bull horn.

"You guys don't know me, and frankly, I'm just some kid. So you're unlikely to pay attention anyway, but listen up. Evac is a no go." this stopped everyone, and there was some mutinous muttering.

"Mengsk has left us here to rot."

Men began shouting, and a small scuffle broke out.

Kerrigan climbed up next to him. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

"Alright guys, lets face it; we're fucked." Kerrigan glared at him momentarily.

"Frankly, a lot of you are probably thinking of running or shooting yourselves or some shit like that, well I say screw that." he glared around at all who where listening, which was currently everyone on the base, whether in person or via radio.

Hicks had once told him quietly that he would be a good leader, as people almost instantly liked him and could respect him. Well, when he wasn't being an idiot.

"I don't give a damn what you decide to do, but I know what the last thing I want to do; I'M GONNA TAKE AS MANY OF THOSE FUCKERS AS I CAN WITH ME!!" the men were still undecided. Naruto didn't know how he knew, but he just knew he needed to do something either scandalous or crazy to gain their respect, and get them to fight to the last.

"Wait a second," all eyes where on him once again "there is one other thing I'd like to do before I die." eyebrows where raised and Kerrigan crushed a feeling of nervousness that came from nowhere…apparently.

Naruto turned towards Kerrigan a large smile on his face, "Sarah."

"Yeah?"

Kerrigan's eyes went as big as saucers as Naruto stepped forward and kissed her.

Every single soul that saw what happened thought the same thing: _'He's dead.'_ well, except some of the female pilots who where wishing he was older.

Naruto stepped back took in Kerrigan's shocked expression and jumped off the tank.

"WHO'S GONNA RUN FROM THESE SHITHEADS?!" he saw many of the marines grinning sadistically as well as one Firebat who was laughing, making several people including other Firebats back away from him slowly.

One sergeant stepped forward.

"You may be just a kid, but you got a pair on ya." he turned around "All right you sorry sons of bitches; lets get ready to sell our lives as dearly as possible." Several other commanders of soldiers, pilots, tankers gave similar speeches and headed off to prepare.

Naruto grinned to himself as he watched them go. He froze when someone tapped his shoulder. He turned and chuckled nervously at Kerrigan's blank expression. She raised an eyebrow and he spilled the beans.

"W-well I've l-liked you f-for y-y-years now a-and I figured s-since we're dead I'd just, I dunno, kiss you, I guess..."

He looked away blushing heavily; he didn't expect a light kiss on the cheek and a hand ruffling his hair.

"Idiot, it's just weird to be kissed by someone you see as a little brother, especially when you're twenty and he's twelve. You could've given me some warning."

Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. Kerrigan smiled at him and turned away, her hand lingering on his shoulder until distance made her pull away. Just as her hand left him, she spoke.

"You weren't that bad either." Naruto's eyes almost popped out of his skull. His head whipped towards Kerrigan so fast he almost got whiplash. She walked…no, sauntered away, enticingly swayed her hips. She stopped a short distance from him and looked over her shoulder with a smirk. The smirk grew wider at his dazed expression.

Oh, she _so_ knew what she was doing.

While Naruto gathered himself and walked off to gather as much ammo as he could, Kerrigan was approached by a group of female pilots. Kerrigan paused, wondering what they where gonna say.

"You certainly have a fine young man there. You're lucky he isn't older, otherwise you'd have stiff competition." said one of the older drop ships pilots.

A fresh faced wraith pilot stepped forward "Yeah, from us."

Kerrigan was going to laugh it off until she noticed their serious expressions. "That young man crossed Zerg infested territory to find you Lieutenant. One of the nurses mentioned how he muttered in his sleep about finding you. That's some serious love he's got for you girl. And since we're all gonna die here, you might as well enjoy it while you can."

Kerrigan's eyes narrowed. "You're not suggesting that I…"

She was cut off. "No! Of course not. If you had a few years then you'd be fine, but he's much too young now. Just enjoy the comfort of someone who loves you, that's what we plan to do." To Kerrigan's slight surprise, they all turned away and walked off, most heading towards the marine barracks. Only two didn't; the two that had actually spoken to her. The walked together back to the Starport. Her eyes widened further when they wrapped their arms around each other and held themselves close.

'_So the rumors are true...'_ she shook her head and walked back to the command centre to get her gear.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Two hours later.**

Naruto sighed. After he'd grabbed extra ammo and Kerrigan had gotten her gear, they'd just enjoyed each others company. The caught up, talked about anything and everything, except their coming doom.

Both their com units crackled to life. "They're coming." was the simple message.

Naruto sighed again and quickly got to his feet, offering a hand up to Kerrigan who took it.

"You know Sarah," Kerrigan glanced at him "I have no regrets."

"Why's that 'Ruto?" she asked.

"I got to see you again."

Kerrigan grinned as the strolled towards the frontline "You know how corny that sounds?"

"Yeah, but it's true."

"Yeah, same here Naruto."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stared. Roughly one hundred marines, twenty Firebats, four assault tanks, four goliaths, and a squadron of wraiths were all they had. What did they face; thousands upon thousands of Zergs, rushing their position as fast as they could go.

"Great."

The tanks morphed into siege mode and began to lay waste to the Zerg. Dozens of Zerg died with each shell that exploded. Wraiths swooped in, causing widespread destruction with their strafing runs.

The Zerg struck back. Hydralisk fired their spines into the air, bringing down two Wraiths. The scourge did the rest. Dozens of them flew in and impacted with the Wraiths, the flying sentient bombs blowing all human air support out of the sky.

They continued to advance at an incredibly fast pace, mostly because about 90 percent of their force was Zerglings, with scattered Hydralisks and Ultralisks. They were within range now. The goliaths started to fire their auto cannons first, then the marines joined in.

The Zerg died by the hundreds, but still they came on and on. The first line was within fifty feet when the first wave was incinerated by the Firebats. Then they were upon the first line of defense. Screams tore through the air as sharp claws, spines and teeth tore through heavy armor and into naked flesh.

The next line of defense started to fire into the mass, knowing that any still alive would be glad to receive a bullet.

They where overwhelmed just a quickly.

Naruto raised his rifle and started to take out some of the bigger Zerg, greatly enjoying the loss of cohesion in their movements due to the loss of their leaders who where more or less control conduits.

The last line was breached; an Ultralisk, a huge elephantine creature with blade like tusks, rushed through the ranks, crushing both friend and foe. Its massive tusk blades shredded a siege tank like tinfoil. Naruto lowered his rifle and sighed. He was surprised about how unemotional he was about the whole thing.

He turned on his heel and ran back to the position Kerrigan was in. On his way he reached out with his mind and batted aside a few Zerg in his way. The final line of defense wasn't really a line of defense. As soon as the last survivors were there, everyone on it broke and ran, intending to hold out in fortified buildings.

He kept running right alongside Kerrigan. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the Zerg overrun the last position. He grinned and pulled out a small remote from his jacket pocket. He pressed the button.

**BOOM!**

The front mass of the Zerg were devastated.

Naruto quickly pulled Kerrigan into a random building as a group of Zerglings rushed past. He slammed the door shut and retreated deeper into the single room building.

"Now what?"

Kerrigan just looked at him with a lost look on her face. "I suppose we die." She said in a resigned tone.

"Yeah..."

As if to punctuate this sentence, the ground trembled.

Naruto sighed but froze when he heard a slithering sound. Something heavy slammed against the door. Naruto raised his rifle and fired a shot through the metal door without thinking about it, his reward was a pained shriek.

He grinned and got a split second warning as he dodged sideways as a Hydralisk spine shot through the door.

He glared at the door until a pained groan behind him caused him to turn.

"No..."

Kerrigan was hit.

"NOOO!"

The spine had driven into her stomach; a fatal injury.

He managed to catch her as she fell. Kerrigan gazed up at him and smiled.

"Least I got to see you again, eh runt?"

He pulled her close, unable to cry. "Shhh, we'll be fine soon Sarah"

She passed out.

Naruto released his rage.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Overmind watched its children obliterate the last human bastion with little interest. He had learned much from the humans, and believed itself ready to face the mighty Protoss.

Though the mass of hardened carapace, flesh, and energy was millions of miles away, it could perfectly see what was happening on the surface of Tarsonis.

As it continued to watch, beginning to grow bored with the mindless destruction that was common of his young, he felt something. He felt a psychic pulse of mental anguish. His full attention was now on the area when it happened.

The Overmind was stunned as it recoiled in slight pain from the psychic backlash of rage that seemed to engulf the entire planet. The giant entity would never know that every psychic within the planets orbit died due to the massive overload.

Then it happened.

A small, seemingly inconsequential building seemed to implode then explode. The Overmind watched in awe as a massive vortex of fire erupted out of the building. What induced this awe was that the fire was mental in origin; the age old being had never seen such a thing before.

Then the fire began to move. Faces appeared in the flames of vicious snarling animals then seemed to fade back into the vortex. A strand of fire broke off from the whole and it was easily fifty feet thick and a hundred feet long. A snarling fox head appeared at its tip before it launched forward and obliterated a large pack of Zerg. It twisted and turned like it was alive, killing even more Zerg.

The tentacle of flames retreated and once again joined the whole, the vortex…shifted. It changed from a twisting tunnel of flame to a wall.

The Overmind was puzzled; why go from attack to defense? Then it saw the top had a curved crest. It wasn't a wall; it was a wave.

The wave crashed forward and obliterated thousands of Zerg. The flames suddenly died.

Silence filled the former battlefield.

The Overmind quickly sent out more Zerg to find the source of the fire. To its immense surprise, it was a human boy.

Next to the comatose boy was a heavily wounded older human woman.

The Overmind used its massive mental presence to gauge them. What did it find?

"**My children..."**

It sent an Overlord to pick up the Overmind's latest subjects.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto awoke. He had no idea where he was. He felt nothing, saw nothing. He began to panic when he felt a pulse.

Kerrigan. He could feel her so close and she was alright. He calmed minutely.

He slept.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**(A few months later on the Planet Char)**

Naruto arose from his sleep. At first, it was the same as last time; darkness and no sense of anything but self. But then he began to feel. Kerrigan.

He could feel her, but she felt... different. Then he felt the others. First a few, then more and more until they were countless. Some large, most small, and one huge entity. He didn't know how to describe them. He could feel them like they were part of him... or maybe he was part of them.

Suddenly he could feel again. He was someplace warm, surrounded by a thick, and rather sticky liquid. The liquid pulsed and it shifted.

'_Is this what it's like to be born?'_ he wondered as the liquid pulsed again and again. He felt himself moving violently and he suddenly had all his five senses back. He staggered and almost fell as he landed on his feet. He sucked in great lungfuls of air and looked around.

A spike of fear lanced through him as he realized he was in the middle of a Zerg hive. He started to panic.

"**Be still my child." **Said a great, ethereal voice from an unseen speaker.

He calmed, no longer afraid for some reason.

"**You have woken before your counterpart. She will awaken soon and all will be explained then."**

Naruto stood almost perfectly still as he waited. He didn't question, he just obeyed. The perfect soldier.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"**Your other half is about to be reborn."**

Naruto nodded, trusting the voice and presence he just identified as Father.

He turned and spotted a large, upright fleshy sack. It pulsated and shuddered for a few minutes before erupting in a spray of torn flesh and thick liquid. She stepped out.

Naruto stared and stared.

What shocked him the most was how unsurprised at her overall appearance was. He was surprised at how human she still looked.

Why was he surprised?

Simple.

She was obviously part Zerg now. Her old body armor was mostly in tatters, but the heavy body armor still protected her torso. Her legs and arms were left bare, but her shoulders were still covered. Her skin had changed from a light brown to a greenish brown, leaning heavily towards green. Her hair was no longer a vibrant red but now a deep brown. It was also hardly hair anymore.

Her hair at first glance looked like it had been turned into dreadlocks, but was in fact a set of deep brown, closely packed tentacles that simulated hair. She also had new weapons apparently. Her hands were covered in the same substance that Zerg hides where made of, but sharpened into claws as well as long wing like appendages coming out of her back.

In truth, they looked like the bones for bat wings. But what was missing was the membrane in between. They moved and shifted seemingly on their own and Naruto guessed they were deadly weapons.

Then he studied her face. It was still the same, except her beautiful light blue eyes had changed to a glowing yellowish red. **(Saw this in a pic of Starcraft 2. Freaky ass eyes man.)**

Naruto then decided to check himself out.

He looked down and gasped, the gasp drawing Kerrigan's attention.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kerrigan had already taken in her new form and her greatly rearranged mind, due to her infestation with the Zerg Virus allowed her to accept her new form readily. She was now staring at Naruto. Where she was mostly human and had very few Zerg-like features, Naruto obviously had a lot more.

Naruto had been almost as tall as her before the change. Quite a feat for a 12 year old. Now he towered over her a good head in height. He still had his old Ghost armor covering his waist and lower stomach, as well as his thighs. His upper torso was covered by heavy plates of chitin armor, as well as his upper arms and shoulders.

His hands were covered in vicious armor claws, much like her own. But he had further spikes growing over each joint and inch long spikes coming out over his knuckles. His forearms had four long bony growths on them, one on each side of his arm, forming a square. The answer to what they were was given when they moved free of the shallow groove provided for them in his arms and extended. They looked just like the bony growths on her back, except more spike like instead of looking like blades.

They were very long, and were clearly designed to provide a short range (relative to his body, the things are like 3 feet long) stabbing attack whereas her 'wings' were designed more to slice.

His feet were covered in hardened chitin, the same as her but the spiked toe and heel were defiantly not like hers. She then looked up to study his face.

He had the same kind of hair as her but it was a dull blonde, his face was still the same with its whiskers and long scar.

"**My children." **

"Yes father?" they asked in perfect unison (line from Lord of Spines Reptilia's fic)

"**You are two parts of a whole. Kerrigan, my Queen of Blades; a leader in the swarm, and my ultimate agent and representative." **

"**Naruto, my Lord of Spines; the ultimate warrior and soldier of the swarm."**

"**You two are two parts of a whole. You will forever be connected to each other, and connected to the swarm." **

"**Rejoice my children, for you will show the universe the Power of the Eternal Swarm." **

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**PHEW its over, biggest chapter I have ever written hope you enjoyed it.**

**There will be many chapters before Naruto goes back to his world but he will. Oh yeah, he will be with Kerrigan and one more woman, but that's it….a first for me, eh? **

**Oh and about that little black book and some more of Naruto's stuff…don't be so sure he's lost it, so don't worry he'll get it back just couldn't find a way to bring it into this chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

LORD OF SPINES

**LORD OF SPINES**

**By: Uncle Joe**

YAY! I have finally gotten around to loading Starcraft again and started the second chapter of this rather unique fic. By the way, look out for a guy called Shadow of What Once Was. He has rather politely asked to make his own version of this idea. The basic plot is the same; Naruto ends up in Starcraft universe but after that it's going to be different. Look out for him because he has my permission to do this, so don't bug him about it.

Anyway here we go…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Char….an interesting place as far as Naruto was concerned. A barren an almost completely lifeless rock. Nothing but black rock and lava flows as far as they eye could see. At this moment it was one of the mostly hotly contested places in the galaxy. The question of why was simple; the Zerg were there.

Naruto let a small grin cross his features as he thought that…Zerg…he was one of them now. One of countless billions, yet he was unique. He only answered to two beings in this entire armada. The Overmind, which no Zerg could disobey no matter how individualistic they may seem. Their base programming would no allow it. And Sarah Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades…his queen. In the Overmind's eye, they were equals. Two halves of a greater whole.

Naruto didn't quite see it that way but it changed nothing so the Overmind let it be. Naruto knew that in a straight out and out physical battle, despite Kerrigan being twenty and him only twelve and that she had more experience, he would win. He was simply stronger, faster, and more physically deadly. But Kerrigan was still the leader. She was in charge simply because she was.

It was her grand purpose to be a leader of the Swarm, hence her title Queen. Naruto didn't really follow her for these reasons, though he would be quick to point it out to anyone who ever asked. Anyone asking would probably be a Cerebrate and would know already anyway. Naruto followed her for once simple reason that the Overmind found fascinating. Naruto loved Kerrigan, to such an extent where the Overmind considered that he might just be more loyal to her than he was to the Overmind.

While the Cerebrates who learned this were worried about this seeming ability to disobey an order, the Overmind was not. In Naruto, it had found a challenge. The being it could sense sealed inside Naruto's body and mind was possibly as powerful as the Overmind itself. Mentally at least. Its physical power could not be guessed. This Kyuubi as it identified itself had caused these unexpected reactions in Naruto.

Naruto was different unique and singular, while Kerrigan had been greatly changed by becoming a Zerg…not much of Naruto had. Naruto had always been loyal to his family and his friends. He had simply been adopted by a different family and his only friend was Kerrigan. It was all he needed.

Naruto also displayed a sense of honour and fair play that was utterly unique in a species whose single major tactic in defeating an enemy was in overwhelming numerical superiority and deviousness.

Naruto was the single most dangerous being in the entire Zerg army for all his potential…and yet he was a follower not a leader. The Overmind's massive intellect pulsed with amusement.

"**Kill the Terrans my children****," **

His two newest and deadliest children leapt into action. Yes the Cerebrate who defended them would be greatly rewarded. How should he be rewarded? The Overmind chuckled. That Cerebrate would continue to watch over and help 'guide' his two children and that would be its reward, being at the forefront of the Zerg's greatest battles as well as having the two most powerful guards it could.

The Overmind paused…something was happening….ah yes…battle had been joined.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jim Raynor grunted in frustration and annoyance as he stared down at the hollow map of the valley they were in. "What the hell at the Zerg doing here? They're just sitting there. I've never seen them do that before."

There was a panicked movement behind him, "Sir you need to see this!" Raynor turned to the private manning the main battle view screen which overlooked the Zerg base then glanced at the large screen and froze in horror.

It was her. Her face filled the screen. She was the reason he was here, the feeling he had followed. Sarah Kerrigan….but was it her? It looked like her but instead of pale skin and pink cheeks was mottled green skin all around. Where rosy red hair once waved in the breeze stiff brown stalks hung almost like dreadlocks. Full pink lips where now a dark green and curved not in a friendly or comradely smile but a dark grin full of promise. Blue eyes that once twinkled now burned an eerie yellow. Raynor stared.

"Mother of God, Kerrigan what have they done to you?" he whispered. His subordinates looked at their commander in sympathy at his horrified tone. There was nothing they could do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"**Naruto****,"**

Naruto paused slightly in his stretches. A few feet from him Kerrigan was meditating. The change may have been complete, but both were becoming accustomed to their fledgling abilities.

"Yes Father?"

"**I brought you a gift****,"** Naruto blinked as a drone scuttled up carrying a large cloth bundle. Naruto frowned as it was set at his feet, the surprisingly nimble and precise mandibles handling the object as if it could smash at the smallest bump. It came to him that Drones where generally this precise and efficient, no matter what brood they belonged to.

"**You showed a subconscious reluctance to pass with these items. I am curious as to why."**

Naruto opened the bundle to reveal a belt pouch and a large rifle. "Sarah gave them to me," He felt the Overmind's approval and some amusement.

"**I will admit it would be amusing to see you kill the ****Swarm's enemies with their own weapons."**

Naruto nodded, thoroughly aware of Kerrigan's eyes on him. He attached the belt and harness, and by ingrained instinct, checked each pouch. His fingers brushed against a small book in one pouch before moving on, a small smile gracing his features. Once he had checked every pouch, he moved onto the rifle. The large customized Canister Rifle was quickly disassembled and rebuilt in less than a minute. The last thing he didn't quite recognize. It wasn't his. It was a large dark grey cloak with a hood. His features hardened. Why was it there? He threw it around his shoulders and pulled the hood up.

He used his mind to enter that of a Zergling nearby. While its style of vision was slightly disorientating he got a good enough picture. He looked….mysterious. All his Zerg modifications where hidden and he looked like a normal ghost. The hood was deep enough to hide his changed face.

He slung the rifle across his back, the strap snugly across his chest his hands disappeared inside the cloak which settled into an overlap at the front completely hiding its wearer from view. Kerrigan had been watching him. Despite her revamped personality, she was a little intimidated by the cowl.

Her new perfected eyes allowed her to study his face. The large scar crossing across his face, the odd whisker marks and slightly glowing purplish blue eyes all added to the odd vibe. For a few seconds Kerrigan actually considered that Naruto was stronger than her but she dismissed it.

She shrugged it off as knowing that he was naturally intimidating.

Naruto rolled his shoulders and tapped into the Zerg hive mind. It gave him an instant update of all sectors of the battlefield that his brethren could see. Naruto took a moment to critically asses the enemy positions. The only way for the Terrans to move about was in their dropships. They didn't have any battleships nearby. They must have been in orbit. There were several squadrons of Wraiths. Naruto smiled as a plan brewed in his head.

"Kerrigan, I have a plan to strike that first base on the second largest plateau." Kerrigan raised an eyebrow.

"What do you need me for?" Naruto glared at her slightly.

"I'm just a soldier. I have no more command status than a Hydralisk. You're practically a Cerebrate all on your own, thus I need your help." Kerrigan nodded. She reached out and plucked the plan from Naruto's mind. This mind link would come in handy.

"Interesting plan. Let's go to work shall we?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Incoming dropship, identify yourself," droned out the bored flight coordinator in the star port com tower. Zerg were stationary everywhere and Ensign Harriman was bored out of his mind.

"… No fucking time," came the distorted static filled female voice. "Took ….KKHHHH…Damage over drop…" there was a loud bang and muffled cursing, "… other drop ships in flight aren't responding over comuni… KKHHH… still in the air…coming in hard and fast!"

Harriman immediately slammed his hand down on the appropriate alarm. Sirens blared and lights flashed all over the base, a monotone female voice announced three incoming dropships in trouble. Fire crews and support personnel would be needed. Harriman saw the first dropship burst out of a smoke cloud that had risen from the lava filled basin that divided the plateaus from one another. He frowned.

"What the hell? She's not hit bad. A little scored….something's wrong." His worries turned into full blown panic when the dropship skidded to a halt on the landing pad with its pod doors already half open. The ramps dropped and things of nightmares surged down the ramp falling onto the unprepared emergency crew. Harriman's eyes widened in horror. He slammed his hand down on a large red button

"EMERGENCY BASE BREACH! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! WE ARE UNDER ATTA…" there was a loud ominous click behind him. He froze in place. There was no way they could have gotten in this fast. He turned slowly, his eyes coming to rest first on the cloaked figure behind him then on the large seemingly pitch black barrel of a rifle pointed in his face.

"Please, no…" BANG!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto smirked slightly as he advanced steadily ahead of his brethren, Kerrigan following behind him. He walked steadily towards the bases command post. This place was so lightly defended. It was a joke. Naruto smirked as he stalked forward to be confronted by a black marine.

"What happened to the breach?"

Naruto shrugged "It was minor but some com equipment got damaged so they sent me to come tell any response team not to worry. Guy at the comms was new and panicked seemed to think the Chittering freaks had learned how to fly drop ships."

The Marine's laughter was abruptly cut off as a chitin covered hand plunged through his face plate and into his head. Naruto pulled back and fired a shot at a Firebat raising his weapon. Another marine brought his weapon to bear but was bowled over as a Zergling slammed into him, sharp claws digging into and through armour. It exploded in a spray of gore as a Goliath stomped around the corner.

A small object zipped through the air and straight into the Goliath which seemed momentarily stunned before it exploded in a shower of sparks. Two Broodlings from the hovering queen had quickly spawned inside the helpless pilot before bursting out. The small centipede like horrors quickly scuttled into a bunker shortly after screams could be heard inside.

Naruto fired shot after shot at the Marines pouring out of the barracks but faltered when a purple and green blur shot past him and tore into the unprepared men. Naruto watched wide eyed as Kerrigan tore the men apart with her extended claws and long wing-like appendages on her back.

Naruto continued to watch her as well as shoot the occasional marine she missed from a distance. In the back of his mind, something else was going on. The Kyuubi had done far more than the Overmind had realized, in its attempts to have Naruto keep the enhancements but shake the enslavement, it had overlaid some of its own personality traits onto his own. As such, some parts of his personality merely got a boost while other traits, completely foreign to the mutant, were added in or overrode opposing traits. In short Naruto kept his base personality, that of an extremely loyal person, coupled with a strong sense of honour and fair play, combined with inhuman bloodlust as well as one trait that would cause many future problems: Violence excited him.

Kerrigan could practically feel Naruto's gaze burning into her back as she ripped her wings from the chest of a marine, relishing the feel of his blood splattering across her new form. She walked away from him as he died with a gurgle. As she stalked towards a distracted Naruto- who seemed to have figured out how to command at least small groups of Zerg- command a Queen to infest the severely damaged Terran Command Centre.

He turned just in time to see Kerrigan less than a foot away as she yanked off his hood and pulled him down into a searing kiss.

When she pulled back and walked away Naruto blinked hazily. "… Damn,"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Commander, they took out Dog Plateau!" Raynor jumped up from the chair he had been dozing him. He had been brooding over what had happened to Kerrigan and trying to figure out a way to save her when he'd drifted off.

"How?" was the only question he needed to ask at this point.

"They got in using dropships. Seems that Kerrigan filled them to the brim with Zerg then remote piloted them to the base…standard emergency procedures slowed down the response time enough for them to get a foot hold."

Raynor grunted, "Nothing we can do now. Increase the Wraith patrols. Tell them to watch out for scourge. There'll be a lot of them in the air now." He was right. The Zerg, unfortunately for the marines, adopted a new tactic that Kerrigan thought up and implemented in a spit second exercising her control over other Zerg. She ordered Mutalisk groups to perform attack runs on small outposts, and when Wraiths arrived as backup, to take a few shots before scourge would swoop in and detonate themselves against the hulls of the fighters.

Wraiths and their Pilots perished.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto sat rather calmly and without concern upon a small pile of mangled bodies. Kerrigan was perched on a bigger pile a few feet away, one foot curled under her the other flat on the ground. Her right elbow rested on her leg her chin propped in her hand.

"They are very heavily entrenched. We will suffer heavy casualties tackling their defences." Kerrigan snorted.

"We are Zerg; do not apply the standards of tactics we used when we were human. They are obsolete and do not apply." she snapped at him, but with no reproach in her voice. "We can throw a thousand Zerg at their defences and have a thousand new born Zerg ready in a week, humans cannot. Our strategy should be simple. Send in a large force of Mutalisk, have them attack an isolated area, move in and establish a beach head, have air superiority with Mutalisk and scourge then crush the rest. Simple, effective, easy. The Cerebrate agrees with me and has already started. He wants me to lead the ground attack."

Naruto snorted slightly "And me?"

"You can do what you want. Stay here and relax, play with yourself, I don't care. I have something better to do." Naruto watched her get up climb nimbly down the body pile and walk away.

"She's changed so much….but she's still my Sarah." Naruto stood up and jogged after her, his paces launching him about a foot into the air. Mere days after his ascension, he had discovered his legs had converted from plantigrade to digitigrade form. With the extra joint where halfway down his shin was, he could now walk on either two legs or all four limbs like a quadruped. He preferred walking on his 'hind' limbs, as he had done his whole life, but would run on all fours if he was trying to get somewhere in a hurry. He settled into a position behind and to her right. He noted that this would probably be the same place he would be for the rest of his existence. The Queen's right hand man. Her blade, her champion. He didn't mind a bit, as long as he was Kerrigan's.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto grunted as the Overlord set him down. Definitely a different way to travel. Being picked up by a sticky tentacle and being deposited in a large womb like cavern that smelled strangely fruity was a new one in his book.

His rifle snapped up and he stalked forward, he idly supposed that as a Zerg he should use Zerg weapons. Inbuilt ones, but the Overmind didn't seem to mind. Kerrigan didn't care. Ninety nine percent of the Zerg species as a whole didn't even have an opinion. The Cerebrates wouldn't really care and according to the Cerebrate he was working with, Daggoth apparently thought it was hilarious.

Naruto came upon his first group of enemy soldiers as they literally walked into him. He fired his rifle directly into the chest plate of a Firebat before shooting the spines of his left hand into the surprised face of another marine. His right hand plunged into the chest of another marine as he dropped his rifle. Naruto hadn't realised it but subconsciously he extended a set of wings similar to Kerrigan's but less in number. Instead of a full six blades on each wing, he only had two. They _were_ considerably longer than hers though. As they extended, they ripped the cloak off him, not damaging it but discarding it. Revealing his full features to the Marines startled them enough that he was able to kill two of them with his wings before they could react. The last two moved forward but Naruto was too quick.

He kicked out knocking one back as he brought his rifle to bear. He ripped the Gauss rifle from the hands of the standing marine flipped it and emptied its entire magazine into the two Marines. The gunfire had drawn attention. Naruto snatched up his rifle and dived to the side as a cannon shell exploded where he had been standing.

Naruto rolled to his feet and launched himself towards the tank that had come close to killing him, holding his gun in his mouth. Kerrigan's attention had been drawn and she watched in awe as Naruto blurred with speed. She could feel the Overmind's awe and pride in its son as he flew towards the siege tank.

Naruto himself could not explain the red haze that ringed his vision, he was merely aware of what he was doing. He raced on all fours towards the tank and leaped up over the heads of a small cluster of Marines. While airborne, he replaced his rifle in his hand and fired again and again into the group. Naruto did not notice that the red haze seemed to have slowed the world down as he killed all five Terrans in the few seconds he was above them.

He landed and with a small flip he was facing the tank again. With another leap he covered the distance to the tank, landing on one of its tracks. The haze lifted as he climbed up on the cupola and ripped the airtight door open. He stared down into a horrified unshaven face before he blew it away.

He fired again and again at those he could find before moving aside to let a Broodling crawl in through the hatch. He jumped off and headed towards where he could hear gunfire and screams.

He came around a large cliff face to see the human defenders fall beneath a wave of Zergling and Hydralisk. He could see Kerrigan in the lead with a smile on her face as she ripped a terrified Marine in half.

Naruto received a pulse from Kerrigan at where she wanted him to be. He dashed off on all fours to the devastated Starport.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jim blew the head off of a Hydralisk as he and a few survivors loaded wounded onto a couple of dropships. Hundreds had already been evacuated and this was the last group, Suddenly the Zerg surged backwards backing off. Raynor knew this could not be a good thing and gestured for the wounded to be loaded as fast as possible.

"Commander Raynor?" Raynor whirled at the gravely voice behind him. He pointed his appropriated rifle at the cloaked male.

"Who?" he was overridden.

"She wishes to speak with you" Raynor frowned who could possibly…

"Hello Jim,"

Raynor turned slowly gaping as he stared at Kerrigan.

"Sarah…is that really you?" He twitched slightly as the cloaked man growled at the familiar form of address but was hushed by Kerrigan with a gesture.

"To an extent. I am far more than I once was Jim. You shouldn't have come here." Raynor glared.

"But the dreams…I dreamed you where still alive….that somehow… you were calling out to me." Kerrigan smirked slightly.

"I was. While I was in the Chrysalis I instinctively reached out to you, Arcturus and Naruto." she gestured at the cloaked man "Apparently Arcturus sent Duke here to reclaim me. But that was then Jim, I'm one of the Zerg now. And you know what? I like what I am." she circled Raynor like a predator stalking her prey. When she passed Naruto she brushed a hand across his chest in an affectionate gesture Raynor found strange on Kerrigan.

"You can't imagine how good this feels," Raynor snarled at her comment.

"So what, gonna to kill me now Darlin'?" Kerrigan smiled

"It's certainly within my power, but you're not a threat to me Jim. Leave here now and never confront the Zerg again. If you do not heed my command, I will not be as merciful as I am now." Raynor sighed as he backed onto the ramp of the dropship.

"Doesn't look like I have much choice." he stared forlornly as the new and improved Kerrigan walked away, flanked by Naruto. The dropship door closed and Raynor left the surface of Char.

Raynor racked his brain for the name Naruto and came up almost blank until he settled upon a memory of Kerrigan crying. Her brother. Naruto the living weapon. A spark of horror shot through Raynor. Oh God, the boy was only thirteen. Raynor hadn't been able to guess his age because of his height and voice. It settled in his mind obliterating any possible doubt. The Zerg were monsters. He only hoped that Naruto and Kerrigan could be rescued.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto was Kerrigan's shadow as they stalked into the Hive's centre. Here they could best communicate with the Overmind and the other Cerebrates.

Naruto glanced at Kerrigan "What are you planning?" Kerrigan grinned.

"You'll find out soon enough," Naruto groaned. Some things never changed. Kerrigan always loved surprising him.

Naruto felt tension that had built in combat fade away and disappear as he walked deeper into the organic and slightly steaming warmth of the Hive. They reached the centre. Naruto paused, standing to the side as Kerrigan linked them into the Overmind to a greater degree than normal.

Kerrigan first addressed the Cerebrate who had watched over them. "Cerebrate, you watched over us during our incubation and we are grateful." Naruto gave the mental equivalent of a nod and felt the Cerebrate's pride and slight amount of smug satisfaction. "It is my wish that you continue your vigil so that we might strengthen our powers to better aid the swarm." Naruto raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was planning.

"I have been unable to access the totality of my latent powers and as such I would like to infiltrate a Terran science vessel and uncover the secrets of their abandoned ghost projects. Naruto as it is can barely access his own powers. I can learn more about their mental conditioning I can undo the damage they have done to both of our minds." he could feel that the Cerebrate despite an actual reply thought it was a good idea, but would wait for the Overmind's approval and the opinions of more experienced cerebrates.

Another presence flowed into the mental conversation…it was Zasz, the Cerebrate of the Garm brood.

"Though you may be the favoured servant of the Overmind, you would do well to remember you are just a Servant. Follow your companion's example."

"I am just a Soldier Zasz, but Kerrigan is right; this would benefit us greatly." he could feel Zasz's anger.

"You both know of our grand mission. Would you Kerrigan, put your personal whims before the will of the Overmind?" he protested heatedly.

Kerrigan growled gutturally "Do not cross me Zasz. I shall do as I see fit, and neither you nor any other Cerebrate will stand in my way." She growled a final time before breaking the connection and stalking off. Naruto struggled for a moment to hold his own before he felt the Overmind's warm embrace pull him back into the fold.

"Let her go Zasz. The greatness of both her and Naruto's spirit has been left to them so that the Zerg can benefit from their fierce example. Fear not her designs for she is bound to me as intimately as any Cerebrate. Truly no Zerg can stray from my will, for all that you are is wholly within me. Kerrigan is free to do as she desires."

Zasz acquiesced "By your will Overmind. Naruto, Cerebrate, you must ensure she does not come to harm."

Zasz and the Overmind disappeared into the background buzz "Well damn this is going to be interesting." he could feel a vague sense of amusement from the Cerebrate before it disappeared as well.

Naruto walked out of the Hive to see Kerrigan glaring off into the distance "How do you plan to get onto the station?"

"Same method we used to invade the Terrans base undetected." Naruto nodded.

"Don't you think they'll be expecting that?"

"No,"

"… Whatever you say,"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto squeezed the roll bar that he was holding onto in the packed dropship so hard that it groaned under the stress. Here they were in this defenceless death trap silently approaching a research station in orbit above Char. A loud clang making Naruto tense subconsciously. Kerrigan's relieved voice drifted down from the cockpit.

"We're in."

Naruto released the clamps holding on the docking ramp and rushed out, covering the entrance. He was soon joined by Kerrigan, two Hunter Killer Hydralisk from Daggoth's own personal guard and six Zerglings. The Hunter Killers' bodies had been stained blood red from many battles.

Naruto raised his trusty rifle as he stalked down the small hangar's hallway and out into a larger room, hunched forwards so his step did not wave so much, giving him better aim. He had called up by memory the layout of the basic Science Vessel and thus knew it was large and simple and most likely well defended. This would be fun.

Naruto slapped his left hand against a button to open an airlock. They came out onto a raised platform. The Zerglings scuttled past and down the pair of staircases to tear into a bunch of unprepared Marines. They didn't even have time to shout…or scream. Naruto leaped down the staircase covering the hallway which connected to the small room. Naruto advanced first sweeping around the corner.

He smirked as he heard human voices. He lowered his weapon and walked forward. The four Terran marines looked him over for a second before disappearing and returning to their debate over who was the Dominion's best Pornographic actress. Naruto approached them at a casual pace before he was suddenly addressed.

"So who do you think is the hottest chick man?" Naruto smiled under his hood.

"Sarah Kerrigan." the men blinked before one got a horrified look on his face. Just as he opened his mouth to shout an alarm Naruto raised his rifle and fired into the Marine's helmet. The others snapped into action but died in a hail of gunfire. Naruto grinned to himself but it faded when he heard the slight humming of a disengaging cloaking field behind him. He turned smirking at the Ghost with a gun in his face.

"Behind you" the ghost's expressionless face mask betrayed no emotion. His voice on the other hand…

"Yeah right you mot…URK!" he was cut off as Kerrigan shoved a wing spine through his chest. Kerrigan smiled at him.

"This'll be a breeze."

They advanced down a wide clean gun metal grey corridor until they reached a large locked wall section that served as a door and a computer bank. Naruto and Kerrigan shared a look before Kerrigan sighed slightly and walked up to the computer bank and began using what she could remember of confederate systems to access…something.

Naruto walked over to the large door and rapped his fist against it. He glanced over his shoulder to see the Hydralisk and Zerglings where just milling about waiting for something to happened when Kerrigan made a pleased sound. Naruto faced the door as it retracted into the floor.

Naruto stared into the face of a stunned scientist beyond the door. "Z…Z…Z" he never finished identifying the deliverers of his doom as Naruto shot him point blank in the chest. The Lord of Spines proceeded to stalk into the room firing shot after shot into panicked scientists, pouncing onto them and ripping something out every now and then. He could sense Kerrigan's disappointment and answered her before she could complain.

"Civilians are not worth your time your Majesty…perhaps you could entertain yourself with an armed and dangerous opponent further on." Kerrigan smirked and reached over to pat his head.

"Good boy, you're learning." he mock purred as they advanced through another blast door.

As soon as they cleared it Kerrigan launched herself forward and tore apart a screaming Vulture driver. She ducked behind the chassis of the Vulture as Marines and a Ghost on a higher platform opened fire.

The Marines died under a hail of fire and spines from Naruto and the Hydralisk. Another ghost arrived and dragged the sole wounded survivor, his fellow Ghost, to safety.

Once Kerrigan was sure that they had retreated she stood and continued down the hall a silent nod of thanks directed at Naruto as he pulled up along side her. Naruto had discarded stealth and misinterpretation by throwing back his hood and opening his cloak at the front giving him more freedom of movement in the strange environment.

They came to another blast door, as it slid into the decking both Naruto and Kerrigan threw themselves forward under a wave of gunfire from half a squadron of Goliaths. Naruto rolled to his feet and leapt upon the closest Goliath as Kerrigan cut out the legs from one before allowing a Hydralisk to fire a spine through the supposedly unbreakable glass and into the flesh of the pilot. Naruto punched through the cockpit and shot his own arm spines into the pilot before scrabbling on top of the falling goliath and diving at the next one.

Kerrigan had fallen back dodging a hail of fire and letting the Zerglings get under the feet of the Goliaths paying no heed as two of them where crushed. Two more Goliath's fell when their pilots where killed by Hydralisk spines. Kerrigan turned to see Naruto dive straight into the cockpit of the next Goliath on his side. The Goliath stood frozen before it swivelled abruptly and opened fire on the last Goliath. The last died with a shriek of rending metal as it tore itself apart under a wave of friendly bullets. Naruto had commandeered it.

With the Goliaths out of the way, the group came quickly upon an abandoned SCV which was torn apart by the Zerglings as soon as it came into sight. They had been lucky to avoid or just bypass the automated defences until a Hydralisk suffered minor damage from a flamethrower that rose out of the floor.

The Zerg surrounded but did not attack two engineers, Kerrigan moved to the forefront to question them about other automated defences. Naruto wandered away from the area they where in up a staircase and through a door.

As soon as he walked through he was met with the panicked screams of more engineers and the clanking footsteps of a single Marine who was trying to get around the engineers. Naruto did not have this problem.

Naruto tore a worker apart with his wings before he used his spines to end the life of the marine. Naruto smirked slightly at the cowering humans. He moved.

Kerrigan raised an eyebrow at Naruto who came back blood drenched and trying to get a piece of flesh out from under the trigger of his rifle. "Have fun?"

"Yeah, did you?" he gestured at the quickly cooling corpses of the man and woman who had been alive when he last saw them. Kerrigan nodded and with a smirk licked a small amount of blood from his face that he hadn't noticed.

"Missed a spot," Naruto growled low in his throat before gesturing at the rest of him which was blood spattered, his face being relatively clean

"Mind cleaning the rest darlin?" Kerrigan's face split into a dark grin full of promise before sauntering away.

They encountered a few more scattered marines before chasing a scientist down a hallway which turned into a trap, killing one of the Hydralisk's. Kerrigan made sure he died slowly.

They turned a corner to see three men about to fire down on a group of trapped Zerglings. Naruto shot them as his group advanced. Kerrigan quickly found a way to release them and the ravenous group descended upon the trapped native Char animals and two humans studying them in the next pen.

Kerrigan gestured or Naruto to wait. Naruto paused wondering what she was getting at when she cloaked and stalked around the corner. There was a hiss followed by gunfire and a series of small explosions. Kerrigan came barrelling around the corner looking slightly singed "They had heat-seekers."

Naruto nodded and eased himself around the corner. He raised his rifle took an estimate on where the hidden weapon platforms where based on scorch and scuff marks and fired three quick shots. The hidden turrets exploded beneath the floor. Naruto gave a thumbs up to Kerrigan who cloaked and shot around the corner tearing into the surprised and shocked marines.

They encountered no more problems until heading up a flight of stairs and running into a group of Firebats. One of the newest Zerglings was roasted immediately before the group rushed the pyromaniacs and shredded them. Naruto recognized the large circular depression surrounded by wires and information readouts. "Site to site transport but it's not active. There's got to be another set of computers around here somewhere that will activate this thing."

Kerrigan looked thoughtful, "It should be fairly close from what I remember the last time I was in one of these things." The group headed back the way they had come but took a small side passage they had overlooked before. Naruto and Kerrigan led as they travelled down the hall. An unexpected trap door slammed shut, cutting them off from the Zerg behind them. A large group of marines came down the corridor before them.

"Your not going to make it out of here alive, freaks." one of them spat. Naruto spun, already pulling the trigger. The Marines scattered but not before one was killed and two more wounded. Kerrigan leapt forward striking left and right rending with her wings and claws.

Naruto moved forward firing as he went, ignoring the gunfire surrounding him and the occasional bullet that bounced off his armour or buried itself in his hardened skin. Eleven dead men later Kerrigan was working at the computer while Naruto crouched like a dog, letting his Zerg metabolism alongside his natural healing abilities, thanks to the entity in his belly heal his wounds. Kerrigan in all her delicate mercy and fine medical skills had simply dug her claws into his flesh to pull out the bullets, making the wounds much worse.

Naruto would have preferred letting the bullets dissolve in his body but Kerrigan had insisted. He figured it was probably just an excuse to get his blood on her hands which she was idly licking clean as she worked.

Kerrigan suddenly whirled moving away from the console. "Got it. Let's go," Naruto stood checking his wounds and his weapons as he moved. He slung his rifle across his back as he idly bit into a protein wafer he'd pilfered from a dead body. Kerrigan's hand snapped out smacking the food stuff from his hand and snatching it up before it could fall to the floor. She shoved the rest of the cookie like snack into her mouth and grinned at him.

They met up with the Zerg they had been separated from who were as close to panic as organic machines could get. They made their way to the transport room. You could only find the things in facilities like this as they couldn't work over long distance and required pre-existing transport pads but were good security measures.

As soon as the transport was over Naruto shot a surprised scientist in the chest before stabbing a Marine. The others were dispatched quickly.

"Not many left now Sarah, I think there's like five of them guarding the computer we need. Who gets it?" Kerrigan glanced around before going through the pockets of a dead man and pulling out a coin.

"Flip for it" they flipped.

"Good…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ghost Gruber was the first to realise something was wrong when the approaching ghost in an odd cloak had blood on his cloak. The cloak was not odd, as some of those real dark ops freaks wore them when not in the field.

His suspicions were confirmed but did him little good when the cloaked man raised his rifle and fired it into Gruber's face. Four more shots later and Kerrigan was huffily working at the computer, angry she hadn't gotten a chance to kill someone.

He felt her connect to the hive mind "Cerebrate I've located the records we've sought. We can leave now." Naruto grinned as they began the trek back to the dropship.

Once there having killed a few scientists they missed and Kerrigan maliciously activating an automated defence system which blew up several escape pods that had been jettisoned along the way, they ordered the Zerg to stay behind and boarded the dropship heading for the Hive.

Naruto sat rather comfortably in one of the rollbar equipped drop chairs as Kerrigan piloted it. "Naruto, I don't know if I can fully unlock all of your abilities but we can definitely unlock some with what I found." she patted the data pad secured next to her.

The plan was to use the overrun and infested facilities on the ground to unlock the repressed abilities in a safe environment unlike the space station which exploded just as they went planet side. Marines had docked and detonated a nuclear explosive when they where overwhelmed by the remaining Zerg.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kerrigan smirked as she felt her awareness double. She had removed all the restraints on her abilities. She was ready for Naruto but he was nowhere nearby. She searched him out and frowned. He was currently feeling a strange selection of emotions. There was the general feeling of warmth safety and contentment they both felt when within the safety of the Hive.

He was also current's feeling, amusement, nostalgia, sexual arousal, shame and disgust in varying degrees. She left her den and tracked him down and walked into a strange sight even for her. Naruto was relaxing in a flight chair which seemed to have been ripped out of a Wraith which were known to be comfortable and had his feet propped up on a large crooning larva.

The chair was facing away from the entryway so Kerrigan snuck up on him and peered over his shoulder. After reading a few sentences and studying the diagram she whistled loudly.

"Whoa, that's new." Naruto whirled around so fast he fell out of the chair startling the Larva into scurrying away.

"S-Sarah! U-uh… I-it's not what you think!" Kerrigan raised an eyebrow and the corner of her mouth curled into a smirk.

"Naruto you're reading a book on sex. There isn't much else I can think other than your reading up on things you want to practice on yours truly." Naruto's cheeks turned a slightly deeper shade of green before smiling and tossing her the book.

"Look up what you want me to do and point it out." Kerrigan tapped the book against her other hands before turning and walking out with a hypnotising sway to her hips.

"I'll keep that in mind,"

Naruto blinked owlishly. "I'm screwed," he could hear the Cerebrate chuckle in the back of his mind. "Cool!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kerrigan came back a short while later tossing the book with at least five dog eared pages and got back onto the reason she had come here in the first place.

"Come on Naruto, I'm going to see what kind of powers I can get unlocked from you." Naruto followed her to her room where she typed something into a hijacked computer and sent out some kind of pulse that made a red hot poker of pain stab into his head.

He groaned and clutched his head for a few moments before it faded. Kerrigan studied him for a moment before gesturing for him to follow. He staggered a bit as he started to move before righting himself and beginning to move normally.

"You should be back up to speed soon enough." Naruto nodded, still feeling woozy. Kerrigan helped straighten him up before pulling his larger form against her body and kissing him. When they broke apart Naruto blinked owlishly at her. She smirked and patted his cheek.

Naruto watched as she walked away…that is to say he watched the motion of a certain part of her anatomy. He swallowed trying to clear his now painfully dry throat. He coughed a couple of times before heading back to his room. Suddenly he felt the Overmind connect to him.

"**My Son I am curious…why do you let Kerrigan posses the illusion she is the stronger of the two of you?"**

"Choice Father…. In some respects Kerrigan is more powerful than I. And in others, I am more powerful than she. We complete each other. Just as finally absorbing the Protoss into the fold will make the Zerg complete and perfect Kerrigan and I complete each other. The only obstacle is that Kerrigan must learn this. I know this…I guess I have always known it but it is better that she learn on her own in her own time." He felt the Overmind's approval just before it withdrew.

He felt Kerrigan searching for him, he connected with her and the Cerebrate.

"Do you feel that Naruto? Cerebrate? The Protoss are here on Char. They have been for some time….hiding." Naruto could hear her disdain. He felt her searching for some non Zerg connection, aided by the Cerebrate. "Protoss Commander, it was folly for you to come here. For I am Kerrigan and I am queen of the Zerg." Naruto frowned as he felt a distinct sense of amusement and a powerful psychic presence broke into the connection.

"I know of you O, Queen of the Zerg for we have met before. I am Tassadar of the Templar." Naruto smiled. This one was a strong. "I remember your selfless exploits defending humanity from the Zerg. Unfortunate it is to see one who was so honourable and full of life would succumb to the twisted wiles of the Overmind." Naruto could feel Kerrigan's anger.

"Do not presume to judge me, for you'll find my powers are more than a match for yours. In fact I sense your vaunted power has diminished since last we met." Tassadar gave the mental equivalent of a chuckle.

"Perhaps O, Queen. Or is it that I need not flaunt my powers in such an infantile test of will?"

Kerrigan snarled. "Foolish Templar. Prepare your defences, for I will come for you soon…" Kerrigan left the conversation and so did the Cerebrate.

Naruto paused; the Protoss was still connected to him "You are different from her young one…why do you follow her?" Naruto didn't answer.

"Ah I see…you chose to….I think you will play an important role in this coming war young warrior….I hope you choose the right one." Tassadar disappeared. Naruto snarled, his role, his place, his path would be by Kerrigan's side now and always and no high and mighty Protoss could convince him otherwise.

Kerrigan walked out of the hive building, having tracked Naruto down. She found him staring at the sky a small smirk marring his features.

"Where are they?" Kerrigan smiled.

"Not far from here Naruto, lets go…we have a class to teach." Naruto laughed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto grunted as the Overlord set him down at a small hive set up near a large Mineral Crystal vein. He was finally getting used to travelling via Overlord. Having those long tentacles wrap around you and carry you up into a warm slightly steam cavern _was_ kind of disconcerting.

Naruto started to move immediately checking his weapons and using his growing abilities to bring almost forty Zerglings to him. Another presence abruptly came in strong among the background buzz of the Swarm. It was Zasz.

"Kerrigan, I sense something strange about this Templar. Perhaps you should reconsider your attack." Kerrigan growled, her dislike for Zasz increasing.

"For the last time Zasz, you question my motives and authority at your own peril." Zasz's frustration and anger was palpable.

"You dare threaten a Cerebrate? You will be the doom of us all." he broke the connection. Naruto sighed.

"Cerebrate report!" Naruto could feel Kerrigan's approval as she got to work advancing the Hive as quickly as possible.

"Lord Naruto, Queen Kerrigan. The Protoss are heavily entrenched ground wise but have very few air support units other than shuttles." The Cerebrate then sent out a rough mental impression of troop numbers and disposition. Naruto smirked.

He nodded to Kerrigan as he ran to the North east of the Hive. The Zerglings following in his wake.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A Protoss Dragoon on a patrol paused as it spotted movement on the outer edge of its sensor radius. The quadrupedal support unit containing a Protoss warrior too heavily wounded to be a Zealot moved quickly to assess the threat. The two other Dragoons followed as well as the small group of Zealots. Their telepathic communication resulted in an eerie coordination.

The first sign of danger came when the head of one of the Zealots exploded, showering his comrades in gore. The Dragoon fired at almost the exact same time, killing a Zergling which came into its range from behind a rock outcropping. The old warrior Protoss was not prepared for an apparent human to launch himself over the rock cropping to land on top of one of his comrades. The human raised a weapon that was bulky and unsophisticated as were all of humanities weapons and fired three precise shots into the top of the Dragoon. It had smashed right through the shields on the war machine and straight into the soft flesh of the pilot.

The Dragoon exploded showering the nearby rocks in blue stasis fluid. The human obviously working with the Zerg dived out of the way of a disruption bolt fired by the third Dragoon. The Zealots moved to attack him but the leader shouting a battle cry that could be heard by all psychically attuned creatures in the vicinity was bowled over as a Zergling slammed into his side, the blow shorting out his shields and its sharp claws and teeth tearing into the flesh not covered by armour. The other Zealots reacted quickly but fell under a tidal wave of screeching death. The Zerglings tore the warriors apart before descending on mass onto the two remaining Dragoon's. The first Dragoon caught flatfooted by the sudden attack had only time to turn before one of his legs was slashed out from under him and his armoured life support walker was shredded. The third charged a bolt as its pilot roared what he knew was to be his last cry. A bullet impacted the Phase disrupter cannon and the backlash of built up energy tore the Dragoon apart.

Naruto paused momentarily taking a breath. He smiled. It was going to be a good day. With a mental command the Zerglings surged forward, Naruto in their midst. He could feel Kerrigan leading a much larger attack against another outpost while the Cerebrate commanded swarms of Scourge and Mutalisk to attack the main Protoss base. Naruto could feel a large force of Zerglings and Hydralisk's coming to back him up so he momentarily paused.

He was quickly joined by the reinforcements. Naruto smiled, The Cerebrate had a plan. Naruto's group was to attack right into the teeth of the most heavily defended section of the Protoss base. When the elements there were reinforced, they would be hit from behind and the side by Hydralisk and Mutalisk. Then Kerrigan would punch right into the heart of the base from the other direction.

Naruto smiled "Definitely a good day."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The attack went off pretty much without a hitch. While the Zerg smashed into the Protoss defences Naruto perched himself on top of a Protoss building and began taking out whoever he could from a distance. He was happy, safe and fairly comfortable until he heard a buzzing behind him. Naruto dropped his rifle ducked and rolled out of the way of a Psionic blade swipe. He rolled to all fours and spun catching another attack on the hardened flesh-like armour on his forearm. He smiled into the face of the warrior attacking him.

"You're good Templar," The Templar's face was unreadable but it nodded slightly as if acknowledging him in return Naruto's smile widened. He lashed out, the spines on his arms lengthening. Naruto had originally thought the spines were only good for a good short range stabbing attack until he learned he could extend them permanently and that the outer edge was extremely sharp. He had smiled sadistically upon discovering yet another use for one of his many weapons.

He slashed at the templar who backed away, Naruto leaned backwards onto his hind legs, avoiding a slash that was so close it burned his cheek. Metal screeched as Naruto's clawed fingers slashed across the Templar's breastplate. Naruto snarled, pressing his advantaged and attack. His spines slashed into the upper arm of the Templar, cutting to the bone. The force of the attack caused the stunned Templar to spin, losing momentum and opening himself up for attack.

Naruto struck, his hand lancing forward as a blade cracked into the back of the Templar's head. There was a sickening crunch and the Protoss warrior went limp. The body fell off the roof landing with a dull thud. Naruto turned looking for his weapon and breathed a sigh of relief that it was balanced precariously on the edge of the building. He scooped it up and stared out over the Protoss compound…it was burning.

Naruto grunted in annoyance…he hadn't been fighting that Templar for that long had he?

He suddenly felt Kerrigan's mind searching for something…broadcasting a psychic message to all who could hear.

"Where are you Tassadar? Do your underlings always do the fighting for you?" Naruto suddenly felt a presence coming from the west back in the direction of the Hive. He saw a flash of a rocky plateau.

"This shall be our battleground Queen. Face me here and I shall deal with you myself."

Naruto blinked "Nah, she's not gonna go there by herself." he paused.

She was.

"Crap,"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto ran, pumping that strange energy that turned up in times of stress into all four of his limbs to make himself move even faster. He leapt over a chasm then jumped straight up. He was close. Three more jumps each to a higher platform brought him to the platform just in time to see Tassadar disperse in a cloud of bluish smoke.

Kerrigan's face showed shock then rage and contempt. "An illusion. Do you fear facing me Templar?" she asked, disdain trickling from her voice.

Tassadar's answer was mocking and patronising in tone, "So long as you continue to be so predictable O, Queen I need not face you at all. You are your own worse enemy." his presence disappeared.

Kerrigan snarled wordlessly and stalked back to the Overlord who had transported her here. Naruto sighed.

It hadn't been a good day after all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

SORRY SORRY SORRY! I know I did update recently but that's not excuse for not updating this story…hope you enjoy it!

Uncle Joe

**It's partially my fault too; I should've got around to editing sooner. Sorry people.**

**Dirty Reid**


	3. Chapter 3

**LORD OF SPINES**

**Now I know I haven't updated in a while…ages…years….millennia whatever but the fact is ****that I can't really apologize as I'm not sorry. I have had a shit load going on in my life for the past while and when I actually have time to write I never have the inspiration.**

**So here I am letting you know I'm not dead and haven't given up. It may take me till the sun burns out but I will finish these fics.**

**Typical right when he gets back, he sticks me with a monster like this. I should be getting paid to edit these!**

**Addendum made on 26****th**** july 2009: I'm back big as life and twice as ugly**

**CHAPTER 3**

Naruto watched Kerrigan wearily as the infested woman brooded. The trick Tassadar had played on her had enraged the woman. Naruto had to admit that was pretty easy these days. She used to be calm, cool and collected. Now she was vicious, passionate and short tempered. He knew for a fact he liked this Kerrigan a little more…but that was mostly because she generally seemed to want to kiss him when her blood was warmed.

They were currently riding in an Overlord back to the main hive cluster, bypassing the newest outpost on Char. Naruto settled back as his psychic senses could practically taste Kerrigan's rage, hate and frustration at the slight Tassadar had given her. Naruto gave an inaudible sigh; it was going to be a long trip.

-

**Forty ****minutes later, Main hive cluster**

Naruto, as always, shadowed Kerrigan slightly behind and to her right as she angrily stalked into the main Hive. He walked past several Larvae and drones, the Larvae simply eating or going somewhere to morph into something useful, the Drones feeding growing Larvae or other countless tasks. He passed an Eye that turned to stare at him for a moment before looking back the way he had come. He shuddered. Eyes: Giant humanoid eyes that hung inside only the biggest of hives, connected to the walls by thick strands of membrane. Out of all the different and strange looking beings among the Zerg, only they gave Naruto the creeps.

Kerrigan stalked into their personal part of the hive. Here activity was almost nil and large sections of an old Terran base had been incorporated into it. Even though they were Zerg now, they had once been human and needed occasional Human comforts.

Kerrigan finally spoke, ranting to herself in a snarl "Insufferable Protoss coward! Tassadar cannot evade my wrath forever! I shall find him and cut him into..." she was cut off by Daggoth's perpetually calm voice.

"Kerrigan, Naruto, Zasz is dead!" Naruto stiffened; Daggoth wouldn't have said that unless something was different about it, as Cerebrates could always be reborn. Kerrigan merely snorted.

"Oh? It is a pity that Cerebrates cannot truly be killed. I expect the Overmind will reincarnate him soon." she said in a dismissively snide tone.

"No," Daggoth reprimanded lightly. "He will not. The Protoss have devised a new attack; one to nullify out reincarnation and give pause to the Overmind itself."

Naruto felt a surge of excitement go through him. This was interesting; this meant powerful Protoss, which in turn meant a good hard fight. Naruto enjoyed this news greatly despite Zasz's death and the Overmind's apparent discomfort.

Kerrigan frowned "So Tassadar's plan was just a diversion; I should not have underestimated him so." she mused while rubbing her chin.

'_Well,'_ thought Naruto '_At least she isn't angry anymore.' _

Daggoth spoke again his voice grave "Without its Master, Zasz's brood has run amok and even now threatens the hive Cluster. Cerebrate, you and Naruto are to eradicate the rampaging brood and stem any further damage it may cause. I will deal with the Protoss myself." Daggoth's presence faded.

Kerrigan looked over at him with a slight frown "Will you be fine by yourself?"

Naruto smirked slightly "Why? You worried I might go off and die, leaving you all alone with only the drones for company?"

Kerrigan snorted "Hardly, but the Cerebrates don't make for such entertaining conversation and they're not as useful to me as you are. Don't get yourself killed Naruto." with that she walked away.

Naruto frowned slightly, wondering if Kerrigan actually cared for him as a unique individual or as just a more useful member of the swarm to be discarded when it was most useful to do so.

He shook such thoughts from his head; he had a job to do.

-

Naruto was on the move almost as soon as his feet touched the ground. As the Overlords dropped off the four Hydralisk behind him, followed by a small grouping of Zerglings then finally the Drones.

Naruto ran straight into the centre of the rogue Brood's small hive cluster they had set down near. He shot six Zerglings while he was moving then shoved his fist into the brain case of one of the heretic Hydralisk. His own Hydralisk fired into the now attacking enemy Zerg. Naruto noted that without the coordination usually provided by Cerebrate and a Cerebrate's supporters, these heretics were slow and uncoordinated and displayed no tactics.

The Zerglings rushed into the small hive as the Hydralisk destroyed the remaining structures. One thing about actually facing enemy Zerg, they at least knew where to strike. The Hive started to quiver and shake and the simply deflated, collapsing in on itself and the other structures followed as the Cerebrate took over. He directed the Drones to create two new hives and two creep colonies. Naruto sat back as the Cerebrate got to work managing the swarm. Within a few minutes a hive had grown, resources were harvested and a Spawning pool, Evolution Chamber and a Hydralisk den had been grown. Now with almost fifty Zerglings and about a dozen Hydralisk with a quarter hour wait after the buildings had been created, Naruto was once again on the move.

The place where Zasz's brood had set up shop was one long rocky valley sloping down, with the unaffected Hive on the high end of the valley Naruto was attacking. The next closest Hive cluster was situated almost a kilometre away on the valley's left wall.

Naruto ran ahead at the unnaturally fast pace he had since his days as a Terran test subject. Now augmented by his upgraded physiology, he almost blurred across the landscape. He came to a stop on a low hill and observed the target as the Zerglings and Hydralisk caught up to him. Back at the Hive cluster the Cerebrate had severely increased resource gathering by producing nothing but drones. Once that had been done, defensive structures were built, more units were built, upgrades evolved and new structures grown. The Cerebrate estimated by the time this attack was over, the next would have air support in the form of Mutalisk.

It was never wrong. Since the Cerebrate was essentially all brain, it could micromanage these things to such a degree they happened basically at the same time. Due to being paired with both Naruto and Kerrigan, this Cerebrate was far more adept at growing, maintaining and defending a hive than its brethren as the Overmind's children controlled the actual battles.

Naruto meanwhile was having quite a bit of fun. He had bull rushed the Zerglings straight into the heart of the hive, drawing all attention to themselves while he and the Hydralisk came in from behind and obliterated the defenders. Naruto's face was graced with a small smirk right before he dived to the side as a long spike shot up from the ground and retreated, the creep almost instantly repairing the hole.

Most of the sunken colonies had been eradicated with only a few deaths among the Zerglings. Naruto rushed towards it, his speed carrying him well ahead of the brainless organism's attempts to kill the intruder. He leapt up into the air, spinning over it and fired several shots down into its mouth. It quivered and died, quickly melting back into the creep.

As Naruto watched the rest of the structures die, several drones arrived. The Cerebrate, always an opportunist, was going to let pre-existing creep go to waste. While it cost nothing for the stuff to grow out over the land so the Zerg's organic buildings could be built, it took time and that was something that should never be wasted.

Naruto watched for a moment as the new hive was starting to grow before ordering with a single thought the survivors of his initial attack force to wait until the hive was suitably built up till they returned to the main cluster.

Naruto arrived back quickly to discover an entirely new force waiting for him: A mixed group of Zerglings, Hydralisk, Mutalisk and over a hundred of the Scourge. Naruto grinned as he practically watched the Hydralisk evolve before his eyes. As was with the way of all new Zerg hives, the more complicated they got, the more advanced their brood got. He watched as every single Hydralisk before his eyes shuddered and convulsed before growing more spines and seeming to grow in size as their armour thickened and darkened in colour.

He grinned and with an almost subconscious command, the new attack group followed him. Daggoth had a reason for sending Naruto on this mission alone. The younger of the two infested Terrans could control the Zerg as long as a Cerebrate helped him do it, even then his control range was small. The Overmind had speculated that Naruto's abilities which were still mostly locked away and were fairly unused by the boy himself due to preference for physical combat would not be orientated to control and command, but to attack.

The Overmind had experienced a spilt second of Naruto's true mental capabilities on Tarsonis. The backlash had been painful, something it had never felt before. The Overmind had told Daggoth it's suspicious that Naruto may well be after his infestation, one of the most powerful psychics in the entire sector, not including the elder Protoss and the Overmind itself. Daggoth had wondered why the Overmind didn't simply assimilate Naruto's abilities; the Overmind had replied that Naruto was more useful this way and that his abilities would not greatly benefit the swarm if added into their genetic code.

The Overmind suspected that it would be difficult to even assimilate Naruto, as his healing ability was far more advanced than any Zerg thanks to his tenant. The Overmind in its brief glimpse at the Kyuubi's equally colossal mind had led it to believe that the only reason the infestation had worked in the first place was because the Kyuubi had approved of the changes that would be brought upon its host.

Naruto was however blissfully unaware of the speculation and scrutiny he was generally under. His general demeanour of being simply content with his position in the swarm and happy to fulfil any orders he was given as long as they led to a good fight. The Overmind found itself oddly pleased that such a complicated and, by design, unique individual amongst a species that was basically the same all across the board was almost no different from his common brethren.

Back upon the surface of Char and in the present, Naruto charged towards the next base. He had commanded the leftovers of his initial group to attack the small heretic base near them with a thought and it had been easily wiped out. He was now about to lead an attack into the second last base, leaving only the main Hive cluster to be exterminated.

He crested a small hill and without even stopping, fired a shot into the face of a Hydralisk. As the beast collapsed the Mutalisk swooped overhead, the oddly shaped flyers which consisted of a worm-like body with the head placed between two leathery wings with an underslung tail from which fired its Glaive Wurm, a small organism which struck one target only to bounce off and strike another and another.

The Mutalisk descended on the base, slaughtering the smaller Zerg, as such resistance was light at first. The Zerglings were designated to attack the sunken and spore colonies, organic buildings designed to attack ground and air targets respectively. Naruto however, received a surprise when a low groaning call came from somewhere in the air behind him. He turned just as a large green glob of acid obliterated a Hydralisk.

Their Cerebrate had done a damn good job. Coming up behind him were Guardians, the next form of the Mutalisk, about half a dozen of them. The flying slow moving crab-like creatures where almost insanely easy to kill from the air since they only had the ability to attack the ground. However these six Guardians were being backed by a large swarm of the Scourge, along with Mutalisk. On the ground, more Zerglings arrived along with Hydralisk and four Ultralisk.

The last push was on.

-

They descended like a storm. Naruto had scouted the base, coming up with a simple plan. He would rush in with hundreds of Scourge to completely obliterate the heretic air defences, and then follow up by rushing in Zerglings and Mutalisk, the Mutalisk to cause initial damage and to kill drones and Zerglings, the Zerglings to take out defensive structures. The Hydralisk would later storm in to take out the stronger Zerg strains, then finally the Ultralisk and the Guardians to play janitor.

Naruto would be going in with the first wave.

-

Naruto rushed forwards, firing into the milling mob of confused Zerglings. The Scourge overhead let off horrific screeches as they slammed into enemy Mutalisk, Overlords and even other Scourge. The sky overhead was awash with explosions and raining flesh and non-human blood. Naruto hissed low in his throat. He wasn't wearing his cloak. He had no need of it so he could clearly see the gouge in his right side where a Hydralisk's spine had grazed him. He shot the offending creature and then caved in a Zergling skull with a kick. He slung his rifle over his back and unsheathed his spines.

Naruto allowed a small smile to grace his lips. His powers had their limits. Even though Kerrigan had lifted some of his limiters, most were still in place. He decided now was a good place to exercise his abilities.

He called this one Unleashing Hell. He had discovered through some experiments and simply asking a few questions that Kerrigan's abilities were simply about will power. She simply wanted her advanced mind to do something, as long as it was within her abilities and it happened. Naruto was different. He needed his emotions, and specific ones. His ability to channel, create and control fire was connected to rage, his telekinetic abilities were connected to…well he wasn't quite sure. They seemed to be connected to an almost emotionless state.

He Unleashed Hell. He channelled his rage and a living, moving wall of flame engulfed everything in front of him. A few of his Zerg were consumed but it was inconsequential. Naruto stared out at the field of flame that had engulfed several structures and a good chunk of the enemy forces. He concentrated again, willing the flame to die. The roaring conflagration started to sputter and die, leaving only smouldering corpses and the occasional burning ember as the advance started again.

Naruto began to truly exercise his powers, throwing gouts of flame at anything in his way, tossing Zerg aside or crushing them. An Ultralisk charged him and with a bit of mental sweat and exertion he picked it up with his mind and slammed the confused and roaring behemoth through the side of the main hive.

The Mutalisk and Scourge had made short work of all fliers leaving the Guardians to attack all the structures left behind. Naruto knew it was over when one of his Ultralisk barrelled through the remains of the main hive cluster to rip out the stomach of the heretic Ultralisk which had been clambering back to its feet.

Naruto, just like Kerrigan, was always linked into the Zerg Hive mind, but because of their unique status same as the Cerebrates they could consciously 'Jack' in to talk across large distances.

'It is done Daggoth,' Naruto thought out into the void with a hint of smugness.

'Excellent. Return to the main Hive cluster, we have a discovered something interesting.'

'What?'

'The Overmind wishes to surprise you.'

Naruto just shrugged and mentally called for an Overlord.

-

Naruto strolled into the main hive cluster and spotted Kerrigan.

'What's going on Sarah?" Kerrigan just shrugged in return.

The Overmind's presence suddenly filled his mind and the chamber. He could hear its booming mental voice echoing throughout the hive and out into the swarm no doubt contacting every single Cerebrate in existence.

"**Behold,**" he spoke, "**My long silence is broken and I am made whole once more. The cunning Protoss have dared strike down that which was immortal, for the Protoss who murdered Zasz are unlike anything we have faced before. These Dark Templar radiate energies that are much like my own and it is by these energies they have caused me harm.**"

Naruto felt intrigued. He would like very much like to meet these 'Dark Templar'.

"**Yet shall their overweening pride be their downfall. For when the assassin Zeratul murdered Zasz, his mind touched mine and all his secrets were made known to me. I have taken from his mind the secret location of Aiur, the Protoss home world." **

Naruto could practically taste the Overmind's joy as it neared its ultimate goal. The Overmind stared down at all its children like a god as it anticipated what was to come. The Zerg would soon be perfect.

"**At long last, our searching is done and the downfall of Aiur approaches!**"

Daggoth's voice took over as the Overmind's presence disappeared. "For now we must ensure the Dark Templar can cause no more harm. Cerebrate, you shall set a trap for out foes, Kerrigan and Naruto will lead them to you."

Naruto and Kerrigan grinned at each other. This week just kept getting better and better!

-

Naruto grunted as he looked over the valley. Three different Hive clusters dotted the volcanic plain. From the single large one at which he was currently using the Hive connection to study the enemy layout, Kerrigan was watching him. Kerrigan was good at strategy, but Naruto was better.

Naruto just seemed to anticipate what the enemy would do. "We have the three different transport zones cut off?"

Kerrigan nodded and the Cerebrate sent the mental equivalent. "Until we can build up we should use the Nydus canals to reinforce these locations. None of them must escape."

"Then?" questioned Kerrigan.

"We crush the two smaller bases at the same time, and then we move in and catch them from two directions and end it." Kerrigan nodded and disappeared into one of the Nydus canals, appearing at the Hive Cluster to the west.

Naruto hated this part of any battle, especially on Char. Char was becoming completely enveloped by the swarm but the outer edges were underdeveloped. They lacked resources and numbers. That would soon change.

Naruto stalked down the hill, coming to rest amongst a group of Zerglings with an Overlord hovering nearby. The teleportation site behind him was an old thing; it might even be Xel'naga in origin. The swarm had grown creep over it to make it more difficult to use, but any Protoss who managed to touch it would disappear from their grasp and that could not be allowed.

Naruto and Kerrigan had a single job while waiting for a sufficient force to be mustered:

Keep the Protoss contained.

-

Naruto grunted as he paced backwards and forwards under the floating stationary Overlord. It startled him out of his frustration with a low warble. Naruto spun on sheer instinct dodging an energy blade that would have taken off his head. He backed up and stared at the hazy and opaque image of the Dark Templar. He supposed if his detection capabilities were as strong as Kerrigan's or if there were more Overlords around, he'd get a clearer picture of the assassin.

"Die abomination," its voice hissed in his mind. Naruto grinned savagely as he caught its energy blade on his heavily reinforced forearm plates. Naruto and Kerrigan both having decided that they would most likely encounter more Dark Templar in hand to hand combat in the near future had taken into themselves an evolutionary upgrade fairly recent to the swarm. Their carapace armour was now much tougher and damage resistant, but it wasn't perfect.

Naruto hissed as the Dark Templar's warp blade cut a narrow furrow into his living armour. He shot his other arm forward and managed to tear out a chunk of its forearm. It cried out mentally in pain and staggered for a moment. That was all Naruto needed. His spines shot out, plunging into the Templar's body, retraced and plunged in again, much in the same way an insect would attack with its fangs.

The Templar fell and he dismissed it; it was no longer alive, and therefore no threat and of no interest. He glanced around looking for more threats when movement just out of sight around the cliff face was signalled by the closest Zergling to it disintegrating in a blue ball of energy.

Naruto rushed forward towards the cliff, he reached it just as the Dragoon and four Zealots rounded the corner. Naruto put on a burst of speed and leapt up the wall only to push off it. He landed with a heavy thud right on top of the Dragoon. He fired his rifle three times into the backs of the surprised Zealots. Their shields, which were generally good at stopping most things, had failed under the almost point blank shots. Naruto bent and positioned his hand into the classical 'Blade' position and rammed into straight down through the Dragoon's shields and armour. He was pretty sure he hadn't actually hit the old warrior encased inside but he had to have hit something vital as he leapt of just in time for the explosion to flip him in mid air.

He landed with a grunt and as he stood grinned. The clearing which had previously been empty was covered in Zerg. Almost two hundred Zerglings filled the clearing commanded by two maybe three dozen Hydralisk. Shrieks over head told him that Mutalisk were already on the way to the nearest Protoss base. The way he had understood the briefing, the two smaller bases that blocked off the approach to the main Protoss base were made up of members of the Protoss Expeditionary Force; the main base was the Dark Templar Warband.

Naruto grinned darkly as he turned and ran, the Zerg loping or slithering along behind him. When he arrived at the not to distant Protoss base it was already in chaos. The Mutalisk had been raining down destruction for almost twenty seconds. The Protoss Photon Cannons, their dual Anti-Air and Anti-Infantry defence structures were beginning to take their toll. Naruto dived forward, barely avoiding the falling Mutalisk whose corpse crushed the Zergling behind him and created a minor obstacle for the rest.

He raised his rifle and fires six shots into the body of a Dragoon. He continued to move forward, slinging his rifle on his back. In a split second, he passed the Dragoon just as it exploded in a spray of blue fluid. He was in amongst them, Zealots and the occasional High Templar. He punched his spines into the first Zealot he came across and with his left hand, ripped out the throat of another.

A High Templar turned towards him, readying a bolt of Psionic energy to rip him to shreds. Naruto beat him to it, and with a single thought, the Templar imploded as if crushed by a gigantic hand. A Dragoon was torn of its feet and swept into a group of approaching Zealots, crushing them and severely damaging the Dragoon. Naruto pulled his rifle by its strap off his shoulder and aimed. He fired four more times, emptying the magazine.

He fired all four shots into a Protoss Scout, which had been on a strafing run. He must have hit something vital, as the little fighter ship spun out of control and slammed into a Protoss Pylon, causing both to erupt into a plume of energy incinerating the Zergling that had been feebly scratching at the Pylon.

Naruto stared around himself as the Protoss base burned. Suddenly he could feel Kerrigan speaking out into the void, and she was obviously taunting the Protoss. Naruto grinned as his heart warmed as her dark seductive voice seemed to reverberate through his mind.

"Once again I grow tired of slaughtering your servants. Have the mighty Templar lost their infallible courage?" she taunted with a sneer.

The cold, deep and decidedly dark voice that replied surprised Naruto, this was not Tassadar. It had to be this Zeratul he had heard about.

"Well spoken, concubine of the Zerg." Naruto's mental growl must have been heard as the Protoss paused slightly before continuing "Though we strike at you from the shadows, do not thing that we lack the courage to stand in the light. You would do well to abandon this attack!"

Kerrigan scoffed "You seem overconfident of your abilities, Dark One. I am no helpless Cerebrate to be assailed under cover of Darkness. I am the Queen of Blades and my stare alone will reduce you to ashes. Prepare yourself for oblivion's embrace." She cut the link, as soon as she did Naruto roared out into the void.

"FACE ME TEMPLAR, PROVE YOUR WORTH!"

The cold voice replied with a hint of amusement "You are several centuries too young to challenge me little slave, go back to your mistress and abandon this folly."

Zeratul was gone. Naruto growled, commanding his Zerg to come with him as he stalked away from the ruins, towards the main base about a click and a half away.

As they moved forward Naruto was joined by more of the same Zerg he already had, along with a Defiler and several Ultralisk.

As he approached the main Protoss base, Naruto realised he was walking quite close to the edge of a lava pit. A Dark Templar appeared out of a drifting ash cloud, Naruto spun grabbing its cloak and using his superior strength hurled it into the pit. He was mildly impressed that the Protoss didn't make a sound as it burned alive.

He ordered the Zerglings and Ultralisk in first with the Hydralisk following. He didn't particularly care that several Zerglings were crushed under foot by the Ultralisk charge. The Ultralisk slammed into the Protoss' defences like a tidal wave. The Zerglings darting among them to wreak havoc upon the organic defenders. Naruto slipped past abandoning the use of his rifle, he realised his mistake as he found himself within a mass of Zealots.

Naruto snarled and spun out of the way of an attack, delivering a punishing strike to the Protoss' brain case. The distinctive crack of breaking bone was followed by the Zealot collapsing in a boneless heap. Naruto saw none of this as he parried another strike and shot a spine into the throat of another Zealot.

He flipped backwards into the air landing behind three attackers, but before he could use this to his advantage he hit the dirt avoiding a Psi blast from a High Templar. Naruto snarled and surged to his feet, punching his armoured and clawed hand into the spine of a Zealot still facing away from him. He gripped it, spun and slammed it down onto another Zealot. All four spines on his right arm shot out, hitting a third with enough force to jar it from its feet. He whirled again, avoiding more Psi-blades, and acting upon sheer instinct, killed four Protoss in a single second. His wings punched downward into the torso of two Protoss to his back, the spines on his left arm penetrated the skull and throat of the High Templar who he had closed with. His right arm snapped out ripping a Protoss' head from his shoulders.

He turned blocking two overhand strikes from an enraged Zealot. As he held this one off without his knowledge, the carapace armour on his right leg suddenly extend upwards at the knee forming a new thick, sharp spine right before Naruto kneed the Protoss in the stomach, impaling him.

Naruto took a moment to admire the weapon he didn't know he had before it retracted. He paused, realising he was no longer being attacked. He was surrounded by the bodies of almost thirty Zealots and one High Templar, around him the Protoss base burnt. Naruto licked his lips and hissed as a sharp bitter taste touched his tongue. He wiped his face and stared at his carapace covered hand. He was drenched in the blue-purplish blood of the Protoss.

Without even thinking about it his wings snapped backwards to impale a Dark Templar that had snuck up on him. The spines jerked outwards, tearing the Dark Protoss in two, drenching Naruto again in the alien blood.

Suddenly, and without warning, Kerrigan's voice filled with contempt surged into his awareness.

"Now Protoss, you shall know my wrath. Bow before the Queen of Blades."

Naruto grunted as Kerrigan's voice was replaced with the Overmind's quite suddenly.

"**Kerrigan, continue your hunt. Destroy all the remaining Protoss on Char. Naruto, return to the main Hive cluster. You will go to Aiur with your Cerebrate and prepare for my arrival." **

Naruto didn't even nod or acknowledge the Overmind's command; it would already know its servant would not dispute its orders even if he didn't like them. He could feel Kerrigan nearby and looked up to see her picking her way through debris and corpses in his direction.

Kerrigan studied Naruto as she approached him. The Overmind had made it known to her his plans to create more hybrids like themselves and had asked Kerrigan's opinion on it. Kerrigan herself had been unappreciative of the idea, not wanting any rivals for her position. The Overmind had assured her that any new hybrids would not be equal to her or Naruto in position or power.

Kerrigan had, however, thought of a rather dark reason it wouldn't work that the Overmind, in its almost omnipresent wisdom, had not thought of. Naruto would most likely see the other hybrids as rivals and he would kill them. The Overmind had asked Kerrigan why Naruto would do this. Kerrigan hadn't known, she said it was only a hunch that he would.

The Overmind had quickly come up with a theory: It believed that the beast sealed within Naruto since it was basically an extremely powerful and intelligent animal, but still an animal would see any males as rivals for his mate, Kerrigan.

Kerrigan herself had been both intrigued and angered by the idea; the idea that Naruto believed on some level whether conscious, subconscious or even instinctual that Kerrigan belonged to him angered her. She was the Queen of Blades and she could do whatever she wanted. On the other hand it meant he was also incredibly loyal to her.

She decided it was time to reward that loyalty and to ensure it into the future.

The infestation process had basically halted her aging. As with all Zerg, they only got tougher as they got older. Most of the elite Zerg under Daggoth's control were at the least a hundred and fifty years old. This was considered a feat, considering how short a normal Zerg's life span is.

Naruto's had been sped up inside the chrysalis to accommodate for all the changes. Despite being chronologically somewhere around thirteen, he was physically at least sixteen and still growing. Kerrigan was a fairly tall woman at 5'9"; Naruto was currently 6'9" and would most likely be somewhere around 7'2" of augmented hybrid muscle when he stopped growing. He was still growing at an accelerated rate and would most likely reach his maximum height in a little under six months.

Naruto watched Kerrigan as she approached, a wicked smirk adorning her still beautiful if inhuman features. Her hair, like his, was segmented like an insects, while her long and luscious red hair was gone replaced by brown his own 'hair' retained a dull blonde. Kerrigan had commented that having hair bright enough to glow slightly white under moonlight wouldn't just go away even if he wasn't human any more.

Naruto had discovered to his secret joy that almost all of their carapace could be retracted or even removed to provide them a more human appearance. The Overmind had remained suspiciously silent when questioned on this. But the Cerebrate that had overseen their birth into the swarm had mentioned something about a 'breeding' experiment before clamping up and not admitting anything more.

Naruto had been stumped, until Kerrigan had commented that the Overmind most likely wanted to know if they could have children, and if they could what they would be like. That was why Naruto felt a surge of adrenaline when several pieces of Kerrigan's carapace fell apart and dropped to the ground.

He opened his mouth to question her when she pounced, knocking him to the ground. His eyes snapped open to stare into Kerrigan's bright glowing eyes.

He swallowed nervously.

Kerrigan smirked.

He blinked.

She descended upon him.

-

Naruto recalled the last few hours with a silly grin. He and Kerrigan had made love... oh who was he kidding? They had rutted like animals in mating season, biting, struggling and clawing at each other amongst the burning ruins of a Protoss base.

**(Editor's Note: Holy crap! This is the least graphic 'lemon' Joe has ever done! What is the world coming to?!)**

Now there was a good chance they wouldn't see each other again for a long while, or perhaps forever. Either could die and Naruto wasn't sure if the Overmind could reincarnate them the way it did the Cerebrates. Kerrigan had remained behind on Char to unleash her rage against any remaining Protoss.

Naruto was now heading to Char with a considerable chunk of the Zerg population, at least in this sector of space. Naruto grinned darkly, the Protoss and Terran were probably too hard pressed to consider it, or just didn't understand the Zerg enough. Leading all the way back to Zerus, all the way back across the Galaxy to the Zerg's home world were Hives, worlds covered in Hives, filled with millions of dormant Zerg which could be awoken in and instant. The Overmind was capable of reaching all these vast distances, but it was taxing even to that great being, so they lay dormant until they were needed.

Naruto was currently riding in the belly of an Overlord, alone. He had been given this privilege to prepare himself for what the Cerebrate was sure would be his ultimate test. Naruto was after all leading the beachhead action against an enemy that the Overmind respected. He grunted to himself. He'd never travelled through the Warp before, at least not consciously and all his missions for the now defunct and dethroned Confederacy had been within the Koprulu sector, and thus only required sub-warp travel.

Naruto's Overlord was not going to be travelling through the warp on its own, it could be it was dangerous, it and by proxy Naruto would be travelling inside of one of the colossal Behemoths. The Behemoth was the first space faring race the Zerg had ever encountered. In fact, they hadn't even left Zerus when they had been called by the Overmind to the planet and assimilated. The Behemoths had served as huge carries for the swarm as they were almost the size of a fairly large space dock or orbiting shipyard. They had also given the Zerg the ability to survive in total vacuum.

As such no Zerg, not even Naruto and Kerrigan needed to breath, they did breath as it helped terrify the enemy through vocal intimidation and helped them communicate on a more basic level with their roars and screeches. Naruto had suggested that a fast moving mass of mean, hardened chitinous bodies that was completely silent would be more unnerving. It had been tested and proved to be correct. Cerebrates assigned to study this had noted more Humans had fled before the oncoming swarm when they had been completely silent than when not. It was currently being used as a first wave tactic among the Broods that specialized in that sort of thing.

Naruto looked out the semi transparent skin of the Overlord and spotted the gargantuan Behemoth. Appropriately named was his only thought. Despite seeing the creature with his own eyes for the first time he already 'knew' what it looked like. The specifics of every single type of creature that the Swarm could manifest were known to him. He could look at a Zergling and immediately know, if he wanted to, what brood it had come from, if it had any modifications different from other Zerglings, what those modifications did, where and why those modifications had been made, what creature had been assimilated to make way for those modifications, Hell he could even tell how old it was.

He didn't however. Zerglings were inconsequential; there were millions perhaps billions of the little monsters in the Swarm. What did one being matter?

-

**High Orbit, Protoss Home World, Aiur**

Naruto had wandered through the Behemoth, pleased to find it had an atmosphere inside it similar to a Hive's, heavy, warm and moist. He had been wandering through a seemingly random hallway when the Behemoth, apparently sensing his mood, had suddenly made a relatively tiny section of its skin see through for his benefit. Relatively because from the outside it was basically a small dot of opaque skin, from the inside it seemed like Naruto was no longer standing inside the Behemoth but travelling in the strange and ever changing warp. He found the ebb and flow of the purplish tunnel they travelled in to be oddly…soothing.

Now however he stared out of the makeshift view port down onto the lush green and prosperous world of Aiur, the homeworld of the Protoss. It wouldn't be a pretty blue and green ball for much longer.

Soon its grass lands would burn, its cities crumble, its vegetation be crushed under the feet of armies both Zerg and Protoss. Aiur, the beautiful paradise, the jewel of the Protoss was going to burn.

-

The Overmind's booming voice bore down on Naruto like a benevolent god.

"**My children, the hour of hour victory is at hand!**" The Overmind sounded excited "**For upon this world of Aiur, shall we incorporate the strongest known species into our fold. Then shall we be the greatest of creations children, we shall be….perfect."**

Naruto grinned savagely; the dream, his, Kerrigan's, the Overmind's, the collective dream of his species- at least the sentient members- was at hand.

"**Yet before I can manifest upon this world, the way must be prepared. You must seize the Khaydarin crystals, for within them lies power undreamt of by the Protoss. Go now, Naruto, Cerebrate, and my children; secure the Crystals and bring swift wrath upon all who oppose the Swarm!**"

"Yes Father,"

-

Naruto grunted as the Overlord rocked slightly as turbulence from atmospheric entry knocked it about. He stood amongst almost a dozen Zerglings. He remembered his previous conversation with the Cerebrate of the brood he had been born into.

_FLASHBACK_

"Cerebrate, we can expect an attack almost as soon as we land. I suggest the first waves be attack forces. Once a beachhead is secured, you can send in the drones and bigger strains." He felt the Cerebrate's acknowledgement.

"I intend to beat them to it. As soon as we land, we hit them hard and fast. According to the probes, three different Protoss tribes protect the objective. I intend to wipe out the first one as soon after we land"

_END FLASHBACK_

"Cerebrate," he voiced into the psychic storm that was the Zerg collective consciousness "Begin the attack."

-

Down on the surface of Aiur, Mutalisk screamed; Protoss died.

The first wave of the invasion had been a swarm of Scourge so thick it had blotted out the sun. Almost every single airborne defence in the region of the beach head had been eliminated by the living flying bombs. The next wave was made up of hundreds of Mutalisk.

The Mutalisk were being commanded directly by the Cerebrate and ultimately the Overmind's dark will. They ignored their natural instincts to hang around and destroy everything in sight. Wave after wave swooped down, strafing everything in sight. Buildings exploded and Zealots died trying to seek cover or helping other Protoss who were injured.

Defences, both Anti-Infantry and Anti-Air, were destroyed as they activated to engage the enemy.

The fight was far from one-sided.

Squads of Dragoons protected hundreds of Zealots from death as they fired their Phase Disruptor's into the air. Mutalisk exploded, some completely vaporising, some merely injured and falling to the ground, shrieking as their delicate wings were shredded by shrapnel from exploding ships or from incoming fire. Scourges were shot down, the small blind flying mindless bombs having no sense of self preservation. Some Scourge went after the same target in droves, one small scout which could be taken with a single lucky strike found itself being hit by six Scourges whose explosive chain reaction wiped out six times of their own number amongst their brethren.

Chaos.

Amongst this Chaos as the initial Zerg attack let up, completely undisturbed and undetected, they came. Two dozen slow lumbering Overlords descended softly to the rich verdant soil of the Protoss Home World.

The beachhead had been taken. The Invasion had begun.

Naruto smiled. The Overmind was pleased.

-

Naruto grunted as he first touched the earth on Aiur, the place where all the Overmind's dreams and goals would be completed. As soon as his force had been unloaded, they were on the move. It was a relatively small force, but then beachhead forces always were; a little over a hundred Zerglings, a dozen Hydralisk and two Ultralisk.

Naruto sent the two Ultralisk lumbering ahead as he followed with his small army. The Ultralisk surprising slammed into and straight through light resistance. They had landed in a large clearing in an area of land that mostly hills and cliffs, and this was where the Zerg base was to be set. The area had a high concentration of the two main things pretty much every race in existence used to support itself. It was the Mineral Crystals which was a unique development of this system and the Vespene gas geysers.

As an Ultralisk ripped apart a Photon emplacement with its Kaiser Blades, Naruto advanced past it and straight into the first outposts of the First Protoss base. Three tribes protected this place, the first which he was now fighting settled in-between two massive cliff sides. The next sat in small valleys on either side of a great open plane before the Protoss temple which housed their objective. The final surrounded the temple in a semicircular formation, each ready and willing to die for their planet and people.

And die they would, thought the Hybrid.

Naruto rushed forward as the Zerglings followed him. He ordered the Ultralisk to ignore the buildings, for now they had to cripple the heart of this base; smashing it from one end to the other as you went would require multiple battalions. Zerglings rushed in and out of the structures, slaughtering the few occupants. Then came the obstacles.

Naruto skidded to a halt and placed two shots into a high Templar, the first shorting out his personal shield the second blowing his chest into bloody fragments. An Ultralisk thundered past him in a battle rage. It slammed head first into the Gateway, the main way the Protoss brought troops into battle. It hit so hard he could hear the building's sides groan and buckle under the impact. Its brother ploughed through a group of Zealots, crushing several under foot or sending one flying with its blades. It knocked a Dragoon off its feet which was soon peppered by spines from the Hydralisk. Both Ultralisk attacks quickly shorted out the buildings defences and then it was crushed into rubble under their combined power.

Naruto meanwhile was fighting hard. He shot another Protoss in the face before snapping a bladed kick into a seconds abdomen. A sharp stab of pain shot through his thigh. He had been wounded before in battle but not so unexpectedly. He looked for his attack and stared surprised at the tiny Probe which had fired some sort of beam into his thigh. The Protoss equivalent of a drone was crushed when Naruto kicked in what he assumed to be its front panel. The base was already overrun, the survivors what few they were had fled before the oncoming storm. Naruto stood silent amongst the continuing destruction as buildings were relentlessly destroyed around him by his brethren.

He reached into the hive mind "Cerebrate, beachhead secure."

"Understood Lord Naruto. Hive established, reinforcements on their way, sending Drones to fortify the zone. What shall your next move be?"

"We wait. I suggest you establish hives at all the resource zones within the secured area. A counter attack will begin soon and the other tribes are both prepared and tougher than this one."

"Understood, secondary hives will be established."

Naruto ordered the Zerglings and Hydralisk who had survived (which was a majority) to dig in…literally. They dug themselves into the ground to wait for any enemies to come by. Naruto hid amongst the ruins of the Protoss base and settled in for a long wait.

-

By the time the Protoss had gathered themselves after both the bombardment and sudden destruction of one of their bases, the Zerg beachhead had been firmly established. In the canyons and valleys which had been cut off by Naruto's initial attack, the Creep was growing. Hatcheries were being established near any mineral deposit. The original landing site already had evolved to the point of having a Hive.

All across the planet Aiur the Zerg were attacking. Some attacks were merely diversions designed to tie up Protoss forces and inflict as much damage as possible. Others were beachheads similar to Naruto's attack force. Some had succeeded, some were destroyed in their initial attack and others started to build, only to be wiped out.

Aiur, the Paradise, was burning.

The Overmind was joyous.

-

Naruto watched from afar as the Protoss counter rush was rebuffed. This had been the third such attack; it was time to move again.

The next two Protoss bases belonged to a single tribe that had moved into two valleys that sat just off the Main Valley's floor where their goal awaited the Zerg.

Naruto had already planned his attack.

-

The First wave of the Zerg broke upon the Protoss defences like a wave against a rock. The next struck like a hammer.

The First wave, comprised entirely Zerglings, were slaughtered before they even reached the first buildings. The next wave burst out of the smoky haze left behind by rapid and constant Photon fire. Ultralisk smashed into the defence emplacements like angry titans while Zealots desperately tried to undercut the living engines of destruction by getting underfoot and slicing apart vital tendons they were halted in their desperate and foolhardy attack by Zerglings defending their larger brethren.

It didn't matter to the Zerg that in those few vicious minutes of fighting that at least three times the number of Zerglings killed by the Zealots in hand to hand were crushed under the feet of their larger cousins.

The Protoss of the Eastern Valley tried to call the other half of their tribe to send reinforcements but they never suspected that they were already under attack by an identical force.

The Protoss attempted to break out of the slowly tightening noose and by sheer coincidence both bases tried this at the same time.

They both failed.

Both breakout attempts were foiled by sudden devastating attacks by Mutalisk, the Guardian form of the Mutalisk and Scourge. This was not to say that the Zerg's air forces didn't take heavy casualties, after all, Protoss emplacements on the almost un-scale-able cliff sides dealt horrendous casualties upon the Zerg.

Guardians suffered the worst. The slow pondering crab like entities were destroyed easily as they moved at their leisurely pace; Mutalisk burned, screamed, exploded, crashed and ceased to exist as they were shot down wave after wave.

However with each wave just a little more go through, then more, then even more until the defences were overwhelmed and the emplacements destroyed. Protoss shuttles trying to ferry injured out of the war zone were shot like fish in a barrel. Scout ships shot down, the massive carriers and the small but devastating Arbiters were now lying as burning hulks of metal upon the fields of Aiur.

Soon after Air superiority was established, the lumbering and defenceless Overlords arrived on the scene, not only delivering reinforcements but also providing much needed extrasensory perception to the battlefield.

This enabled the Zerg to spot the cloaked Observer drones obliterate them and thus depriving the surviving Protoss a view of the battle….perhaps battle is a misnomer; view of the Massacre fits better with actual events.

Naruto walked away as the ravenous horde descended on the last ditch survivors. Once again, his once pristine beige cloak was covered in the life fluids of others; beige that had first become marred with red of humanity then the blue-purplish blood of the Protoss; then marred with the a multicoloured ichor from various Zerg breeds. It was a cloak bathed in the blood of others, and it showed.

The soft flexible material was so stiff it didn't move with the wind, giving Naruto a surreal appearance. The cloak's colour was patchy reds, blues, greens, blacks and a multitude of others, blending into one another. It would have been beautiful if it didn't come about because of death.

Naruto stalked forward, met halfway by a large group of Zerg they were freshly hatched too, judging by the smell of fresh blood and the strange smelling nutrient liquid used in Zerg growth process, which strangely enough smelled kind of like passion-fruit but so strongly it could be a little sickening.

He looked out over the vast plane the valleys they had just pacified connected to. He could see the Khaydarin Crystal formation in the distance.

"Cerebrate,"

"Lord Naruto?"

"Prepare a force immediately. Give them no reprieve; I want my current position fortified. Send all remaining units from the last attack in an all points attack against the last Protoss base. Hit them from all sides; I will lead a small force to obliterate defences around the formation. Have a drone immediately follow us in."

"And if the forces are defeated?"

"They will not be. Abandon everything, produce warrior after warrior. Type doesn't matter; send every hive into overdrive, overwhelm and crush them. Let's end this."

-

Naruto body slammed a shocked Zealot right before he ripped his comrade's head of with a clawed swipe. The Zealot tired to rise to his feet but was gutted by an almost casual swipe from a Hydralisk. Naruto grunted as he slashed, stabbed and ripped at the Protoss force surrounding the crystal.

He had miscalculated; he hadn't thought the Protoss sentimental enough to heavily defend the crystal, leaving their base under defended. He was outnumbered at least three to one: An unusual experience for any Zerg.

"Cerebrate, reinforce my position now, I'm about to be overwhelmed."

"Understood. Rerouting now,"

That's when the shit really hit the fan. The distinctive whine filled the air and Naruto threw himself backwards as dozens of Interceptors launched from Carriers which were just arriving on the Battlefield and strafed his swarm. Naruto cursed as he surged to his feet and engaged in hand to hand combat with the Protoss around him. He ripped his claws from the chest of a Protoss in from of him to brutally back hand another. He snarled as his back spines flickered out so fast they appeared to actual wings as they stabbed and ripped apart the Protoss behind him.

A Psi-blade slid into the meat of his left side, unbalancing him. Another slammed into his shoulder armour, coming dangerously close to cutting off his head. He roared as a Zealot carefully lined up to take off his head when a tremendous explosion shook the battlefield, knocking them all from their feet.

One of the two Carriers had ploughed into the ground, the massive machine obliterating dozens of unlucky Protoss who had be coming to reinforce the crystal defence force. The reason why was clear as dozens of Scourge threw themselves against the other Carriers' shields.

The shields failed and almost two dozen organic flying bombs smashed into the massive warship. It started to sink right before a few more slammed into the engine section, making the ship explode in another massive shock wave, debris raining down on the battlefield.

Naruto took the initiative and bolted. He surged to his feet and channelled his rage outward. There was a whoosh of heat and flame that died as quickly as it went. The aftermath looked like a piece of the planet Char has just replaced a small few dozen feet wide section of Aiur. The Zealots around him had been …char broiled for lack of a better description.

Around him the Protoss regrouped and made to charge right before an Ultralisk slammed into their lines, its blade and massive feet killing many. His reinforcements had arrived. He let out a breath in relief. Being by himself against a Protoss army wasn't his idea of fun. Sure being outnumbered usually meant a good hard fight but certain death wasn't on his list of things to do.

Naruto swung his rifle off his back and fired shot after shot in the now scattered and retreating Protoss forces; most likely they were retreating to regroup, but judging by the fires in the distance they wouldn't have much to go back to.

Naruto grinned as his reinforcements surrounded the crystal formation.

"Cerebrate, send in the Drone. What's the status on the Protoss base?"

"Heavy resistance encountered. The Protoss have mounted a massive offensive directed at your position. Reinforcements on route, offensive should hit your position sometime after Drone begins harvesting."

"Understood we'll hold this position till it's over. How long should the Drone take?"

'Ten minutes,"

"Send in the Overlord, we'll evac the Drone by air and the ground forces will hoof it."

"Understood, Drone has begun harvesting."

Naruto looked around as the Zerg arranged themselves in defensive formations. The hundred Zerglings that had only just arrived were directed by Naruto to go outside the Crystal formation and burrow into the ground. They were followed by several Hydralisk.

All around him, the Zerg were instinctively preparing themselves to fight. The carapace flaps that hid the Hydralisk spines fluttered up and down on Hydralisk surrounding him; Zerglings shook themselves, flexing limbs; Ultralisk stamped their feet and Mutalisk shrieked at each other as they lazily flew about the area.

Almost a minute later the attack came. They must have emptied out the base; Zealots, High Templars, Dragoons, scout ships, carriers, even a couple of the massively powerful Archons.

"Here they come,"

Naruto jumped up onto a part of the massive crystal formation and zeroed in on the enemy. Normally when firing at an enemy with a sniper rifle, particularly the Gauss rifle used by Ghosts, only one shot was necessary, either head or body. Protoss were another matter. It required two precisely timed shots, one to short out their personal shield and another to kill them before they had time to react.

That is why the first Protoss to die only notice his shield flare with an impact right before his brain matter and pieces of his skull decorated his comrades in gore. Naruto grinned as he took down Templar after Templar; he felt a psychic crackle in the air above him and with more instinct than thought shot a High Templar, stopping the psychic storm which would have fried many of the Zerg on the ground.

The Zealots had worked themselves into a righteous fury. They charged right past the dug in lines. Naruto sent a simple mental command, and the Zerglings and Hydralisk and a single Defiler dug themselves of the ground. The Defiler unleashed billions of tiny insects that covered its skin, effectively blanketing the area of the battle field occupied by the Protoss heavy hitters. The Dragoons and High Templars were engulfed in a living storm. The Defilers' Dark Swarm was aptly named.

It then spewed forth the deadly Plague; the area around it was coated in a highly toxic cloud, dangerous to both friend and foe. The Zerg rushed in regardless to meet the slightly disorientated but nonetheless determined enemy. The Archon just drifted straight through the Dark Swarm and tore the Defiler apart with a Psionic shockwave. Naruto grimaced; that was bad.

The Mutalisk were holding there own against the scouts and carriers, and the Zerglings and Hydralisk had been devastating those Protoss in the cloud; the Zealots had been held in check but not utterly crushed by those that remained. The Archon was a problem.

The Protoss being, which was basically a floating ball of Psionic energy had no doubt sensed Naruto as a serious threat and was heading right for him. It smashed through the lines, tearing apart any Zerg in its way and any that touched it were burned, though they did minor damage to the fragile body contained within the energy mass.

Naruto slung his rifle across his back and jumped down, rushing the energy being. He channelled his rage, his inner fire right at the Archon. The two opposing Psionic energies met with a thunderous clash. Pyrokinetic fire met with pure Psionic energy. Naruto grunted under the strain, reflexively brining his hands up as if controlling the flame with them, an instinctive gesture that even though unnecessary would most likely stay with him his whole life.

He pushed more energy into the flame and felt the Archon push back even harder.

The ball of flame and energy surged towards him so close it scorched his skin and his cloak started to smoulder. Naruto screamed under the strain and fell to one knee, unknown to him, in his pain, his nose started to bleed.

-

All over Aiur and in the surrounding space, sensitive psychic minds, mostly Protoss but the occasional Cerebrate and the Massive Overmind turned their senses to this battle. Something momentous was happening.

-

Naruto's howl of agony as the flames began to engulf him before he finally pushed back, morphed into a roar of rage. The Archon staggered as a new bolt of fire blasted straight through its own defences and through it, shattering the psychic being. Its death cry was felt by its flesh and bone brethren.

Naruto wasn't done. The fire swept forward and in a show of precision control, every single surviving Protoss on the field got cooked. The flame shot into the air, moving in massive tendrils like the great tentacles of the mythical Kraken as they swerved and swayed, smashing into Protoss ships but avoiding, sometimes merely sliding around other Zerg.

The flame finally coalesced into a single pillar which pierced the Carrier hanging above the battlefield like a massive spear. The Protoss warship never stood a chance; it exploded in a spectacular display of energy.

The flame faded, leaving only still flickering embers on its victims charred corpses as a testament to its existence.

'_Korhal style, just the way I like it,' _Naruto snickered darkly as he fell to his knees and face first into the dirt, unable to summon the strength to catch himself.

"**Are you alright my Son?"**

"Yes…merely…tired…father…" he trailed off into sweet unconsciousness.

The Overmind looked down upon his Male child with pride. The boy's abilities were massively powerful, but the Terrans' crude limiters were extremely taxing for him to use. When he did use them though, the ensuing show was always entertaining.

The Cerebrate sent a single small command. When the Drone had harvested the crystal and was picked up by the Overlord, it picked up Naruto as well.

The Lord of Spines would rest for a while, and then it would be time for the final phase of the plan.

-

Naruto awoke to the rumbling voice of the Overmind.

"**You have done well my children. The Protoss can do nothing but flee before the onslaught of the Swarm. But now you must assault one final site before our conquest is assured. Behold, there is a temple not far from here that lies upon ground most hallowed. Though I have bore witness to countless millennia, the temple which you must assault is older by far. For it was constructed by my creators, the Xel'naga**"

Naruto hissed under his breath. That as going to be a tough battle to win.

"**And it marks the site were the Xel'naga first set foot upon Aiur. The Temple must be cleared and the Khaydarin crystal set in its place. Only there shall the way be made ready, for it is upon that ground alone that I may be made manifest**."

Naruto grimaced. He had to help the Overmind, he wanted to help the Overmind, but this was going to be one hell of a battle.

The Overmind's presence faded once again and Naruto could feel the Cerebrate waiting in the wings for his decision.

"Abandon this hive; bring everything that can be moved with us. The forces with hold off the enemy until a base can be grown. Prepare yourself Cerebrate, we're in for one hell of a fight."

-

Naruto grunted as he settled into position. He'd climbed a large tree to get a lay of the land as the Zerg moved in a flurry of activity behind him, establishing a Hive as quickly as possible. He didn't like what he could see. The Protoss practically surrounded them and were defended in depth.

Their new base rested in a sloping part of the valley with only a few trees dotted here and there. Cliff faces to the east and west almost hid from view two Protoss bases. Further down the valley just past a small lake was the temple with the enemy surrounding it on all sides. On the far right quadrant of the valley lay another Protoss base.

The attack had begun, and it was a massacre. The Protoss unprepared for such a large initial force broke upon the Zerg defences, beating a hasty retreat the Zerg on their heels like hell hounds.

Naruto commanded Mutalisk to attack the two forward bases immediately as he headed east. While Naruto personally led his own group right into the teeth of the enemy's eastern plateau, strategically it was an awkward place, only one entrance for the enemy to gain entrance allowed both for a single heavily defended entrance but it also boxed the Protoss in. Plus the base had been stretched over the Plateau providing a wide target for any aerial attack.

Naruto took advantage of this. He attacked from the plateau's rough hewn path entrance attracting the Protoss to him in a fierce melee while Mutalisk and a small group of Guardians laid waste to the base. They did encounter resistance in the air but they were quickly obliterated by far greater numbers.

Naruto snarled as he tore a Protoss in half. The aliens had been pushed back in bloody close quarters fighting until they had broken and scattered amongst the ruins of their now burning base. The Zerg were hunting them down. His attack had suffered heavy casualties but was still strong. The other attack group had been reduced to almost one third its original strength and had retreated to recuperate.

The Cerebrate, as proactive and utterly paranoid as he always was about numbers and base strength, had already established Hives at the valley mouth and was building more over the old Protoss bases to take advantage of nearby resource deposits.

Naruto commanded his attack group to fall back to the valley mouth. He could feel all available forces moving up. The Protoss were sure to retaliate and they had to be ready.

-

The Protoss were already attacking by the time he arrived. The small defensive location had yet to truly turn into a formidable obstacle and as such was suffering severely. Naruto growled low in his throat as he charged the attacking Protoss.

It seemed their initial muster of forces was purely ground troops; Zealots and Dragoons blasted the small group of Zerg defenders. The Protoss forces were torn apart under the onslaught of the Zerg counter attack.

Naruto smirked as he shot a charging Zealot; he rolled out of the way of an attack from a Dragoon, and turned to attack it only to see it detonate under an assault from several Hydralisk. Naruto grinned as the Protoss retreated.

"Cerebrate, I've got a plan for the next stage of the assault. We'll tech up then attack. First wave will be Zerglings, Hydralisk, Scourge and Mutalisk. This first wave will take out enemy troops, the second wave of Hydralisk and Ultralisk with Guardians will take care of the structures and anyone left. Then once the entire sector is clear we'll concentrate on the temple."

Naruto sighed as yet another Spore Colony burst to life. They would hold. They had to. The Overmind was depending on them.

-

The next Protoss attack came almost twenty minutes later from the skies. The first signs of an impending attack where the Carrier-born Interceptors appearing out of thin air to strafe the Hive Cluster then disappear just as quickly before locks could be drawn on them.

"An Arbiter," Naruto sneered.

"FIND IT AND BRING IT DOWN!" heedless of the casualties they were about to have inflicted upon them, a dozen Mutalisk shot towards the obviously cloaked area in the sky to find an Arbiter hiding in a cloud bank. The Zerg attacked viciously not caring that almost half of them were dead from attacks from cloaked ships.

The Mutalisk pounded the Arbiter until the last one left alive got off a lucky shot straight into its engines before it died. Naruto swore as almost two dozen scouts and three Carriers were revealed to his eyes.

"Bring up the Scourge; blow them out of the sky!" as he said this, the Spore colonies on the ground started to fire their corrosive version of the Creep which lay under his feet at the ships in the air.

"Forget the Interceptors concentrate all fire on the Carriers, BRING THEM DOWN!" Naruto took a breath, he had to calm himself; he was giving verbal orders when he didn't need to.

One of the impossibly fast unmanned Interceptors started to strafe his position; Naruto reached out with his mind and crushed the annoying robot before hurling its remains at a scout. Naruto smirked and made a game of it, helping himself aim and direct his attacks with grand physical movements of his hands making him look like a conductor of some kind of macabre opera.

Naruto smirked as shots from spore colonies slammed into one of the Carriers, disabling it and making it crash in a fiery explosion the heat from which Naruto could feel even from this distance.

Naruto smiled as the two other carriers beat a hasty retreat, one exploding mid turn and the other limping off, trailing smoke and slowly sinking. It wouldn't make it home. Reinforcements were on the way. Soon the final push could begin.

-

Naruto laughed manically as he charged forward, firing as he went. A massive swarm charged behind him, practically shredding any enemy the came across, hardly stopping to kill them. A few hundred metres behind them Ultralisk were tearing apart the first line of buildings. They were approaching the temple. Naruto lifted a Dragoon with his mind and threw it at an Archon before leaping towards it and blasting it with a spear of flame.

He smiled as the horde rushed past, heedless of casualties as they engulfed the Protoss. He glanced at the Temple which towered above him.

'This place is bigger than we thought. Its going to take a while to bring down." Naruto hearing a familiar whining engine, looked up and smiled.

He sighed, taking a deep breath and centring himself. He looked up and focused all his will upon the Carrier floating above him. A High Templar near him froze and stared, somehow unharmed amongst the Chaos of battle.

"What are you doing human?"

The Protoss's eyes widened as Naruto made a gripping gesture with both hands and the Carrier stopped dead. It groaned as its structural integrity was damaged as its engine's continued to push it, despite its dead stop.

Naruto gritted his fangs with effort and strain as he slowly pulled his arms down from their raised position, the Carrier's nose dipping as he did so. The Templar stared at the Hybrid Zerg in awe; such terrible power was beyond belief. When his fists came in line with his face he suddenly yanked down hard.

The Templar, if it had a mouth, would have gaped in shock, awe and absolute horror as the Lord of Spines directed the Carrier to slam into the Temple, obliterating both in a massive explosion.

It knocked both of them flat. Naruto climbed to his feet first observing his handiwork. The Temple had been flattened, the debris both rock and metal had devastated friend and foe alike in the surrounding area.

Naruto sighed. His brain hurt and his arms burned, almost as if he had pulled it down with his bare hands and was nursing a hangover. He connected with the swarm, noting with satisfaction that the Protoss had been stunned by the sudden destruction of their sacred site and had been overwhelmed in their confusion. The survivors were fleeing.

Naruto looked over at the Templar who was staring at the Temple ruins in horror. He walked up to him and smashed him viciously over the back of the head, knocking him out. He hefted the Templar over a shoulder and walked away. A Drone carrying the precious piece of the Khaydarin crystal passed him on his way.

-

The Templar named Ratak woke slowly and noticed he was staring up at the sky of Aiur which was glowing a strange orange. Warm stone was beneath his back and his head ached.

"Good to see you are awake, little Templar." He sat up staring at the horrific melding of Zerg and Human that towered over him.

"Get up. I've let you live so you can bear witness to this momentous event."

"Bear witness to what, Zerg?" the Hybrid pointed behind him and despite himself Ratak turned and stared.

The massive crater which had once been the site of the ancient Temple looked like an open festering wound upon the skin of Aiur. He noticed they were on a burnt tower which was part of a Nexus, the Pyramidal heart of every Protoss settlement.

'Wha..." He was about to ask when a massive psychic presence invaded his mind. He heard the Zerg behind him gasp in pleasure and turned to look at him. The human had an almost joyous look on his face. He turned again, looking to the sky in the direction of the massive presence. Something massive fell out of the sky and slammed into the Temple crater like a comet. The dust cloud kicked up by the impact obscured all vision and the shockwave almost tore Ratak off his feet.

The dust began to settle and Ratak jumped, noticing the Human Zerg standing next to him and staring intently at the impact point. In the street and in the sky above him he could see Zerg rushing and swooping towards the sight.

"No…it can't be!" he whispered in his mind as the realisation of what had happened dawned on him. Something massive rose out of the crater. Huge walls of flesh expanded as the Overmind expanded and stretched out, filling the crater.

Ratak almost fell to his knees when some unseen force pulled him up and hung him in front of the human Zerg.

"Welcome Protoss, to the future." with that the human's mind flooded into his and Ratak's mind, no matter how strong, no matter how protected by the Khala, almost collapsed as the monstrous will of the Overmind invaded it. He could hear the terrible voice of the Swarm.

Naruto stared out at the Overmind.

"**Now shall the events set into motion so long ago be made complete, for the Protoss too were created by the Xel'naga. They were the first creation gifted with the purity of form and we were the second creation blessed with the purity of essence. Indeed our two species are but opposite facets of a greater whole. Soon shall our two races be made as one, thenceforth shall all feel the wrath of the Eternal Swarm…for the hour of judgement has come!**"

Naruto smiled as he tossed the hopeless Protoss off the edge of the building to smash on the ground a hundred feet below.

"Glorious,"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**I hope you enjoyed it, this concludes Episode 2 of Starcraft now onto Episode 3 in the next chapter…when does that come…not ev****en God is powerful enough to figure that one out.**

**There are a few references in this I hoped you caught them, such as "Korhal style" this was thrown in by Dirty Reid as a clever reference to other such says like Cajun Style etc. Also another reference is when Naruto pulls down the Carrier...di you spot it....yes that's right Force Unleashed in perhaps the coolest button mashing even in gaming history you actually pull a Star Destroyer from the sky...just my own little tribute to such a cool thing here.**

**When it does, it better not be as long as this one, YOU HEAR ME?!?!**

**P.S: Please check out 'Mercer's Progeny' by MrSkull; it's the only Naruto x Prototype Crossover that isn't a piece of shit.**


	4. NOT A CHAPTER

Hey folks since it's been so long since I last updated I figured you guys deserved an explanation from me, originally I plan to stick this onto the end of an actual update but since I dunno when thats gonna happen I can't do that. The fact of the matter is folks I am not abandoning anything (well except Angel of Darkness) the reason I haven't updated is because for the last year I have been doing my best to help my Mother through a battle with Cancer that has lasted almost three years, however even through this my Muse was still working and churning stuff out but my mother passed away quietly in her sleep roughly a month ago and my Muse stall out. It however seems to be digging itself out of whereever it went but Don't expect any updates till the new year ok folks, i'll try and get you guys a christmas present but I can't promise anything.

Thank you for your patience and stick with me folks I'm not dead yet.

Yours

Uncle Joe


End file.
